Manchester United and Chelsea could reportedly be set to battle it out for the signing of Leicester City defender Caglar Soyuncu in the summer.
According to a report from reputed Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur, Manchester United have added Caglar Soyuncu of Leicester City to their list of transfer targets for the current summer window but could face competition from Chelsea, who are also monitoring the 25-year-old.
Soyuncu arrived at Leicester City in the summer of 2018 from German outfit SC Freiburg. After a slow start to life at the King Power Stadium, the 25-year-old burst into life during his second season with the Foxes, becoming a mainstay and forging a solid partnership alongside veteran defender Jonny Evans.
The season gone by saw Soyuncu miss a run of games due to injuries. But when fit and available, the Turkish international has been an ever-present figure for Brendan Rodgers’ side and has put in solid performances on a consistent basis, which has now led to interest from Premier League rivals Manchester United.
It is no secret that the Red Devils are in the market for a new central defender heading into the new season. In fact, it has even been claimed that Manchester United have already had a bid rejected by Real Madrid for Raphael Varane. With things being as they are, it seems like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are keeping their options open, with Soyuncu now emerging as a viable target to become captain Harry Maguire’s long-term partner.
However, Konur does go on to add that Manchester United may have to face competition from their arch-rivals Chelsea, who are also closely monitoring the 25-year-old Turkish international. The Blues saw Fikayo Tomori complete a permanent transfer to AC Milan last week while Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta are not getting any younger and need their game-times managed, leading to the requirement of a new centre-back.
Soyuncu is contracted with Leicester City till the summer of 2023 meaning they are under no pressure to sell and will hold the upper hand in any negotiations. The report from Ekrem Konur does mention that Manchester United have scheduled talks with the Foxes. However, any move for the 25-year-old Turkish international could require the Red Devils to shell out a mammoth sum like they did with Harry Maguire a couple of years ago.
It now remains to be seen whether either of the two teams do decide to act on their interest in Soyuncu this summer or pursue alternate targets, with Sevilla’s Jules Kounde also on the radars of both Chelsea and Manchester United.