Caglar Söyüncü: Freiburg's Turkish delight, a veritable treat of a defender
Courted by the likes of Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Manchester City, Freiburg defender Caglar Söyüncü is hot property.
bundesliga.com has the lowdown on one of the most coveted young centre-backs in world football today...
Caglar Söyüncü
Age: 22
Position: Centre-back
Club: Freiburg
Country: Turkey
Key stats
Plucked from the Turkish second tier at the age of 19, Söyüncü has come a long, long way in his two years at Freiburg. The 6'1" defender has made 50 Bundesliga appearances since swapping Turkey for Germany in summer 2016 and ramped up his number of senior international caps to 14. He is averaging 60 per cent for tackles won and 81 per cent for passes completed at club level, and scored his first Bundesliga goal in a 3-2 win over Hoffenheim in October 2017.
Watch: Söyüncü - from the Turkish second division to the Bundesliga
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Plays a bit like: Mats Hummels
A superb reader of the game with the seek-and-destroy passing range of a seasoned midfielder, it's no wonder Söyüncü continues to draw comparisons with Bayern Munich and Germany international Mats Hummels. The 22-year-old is already a mainstay of the Turkey national team under Mircea Lucescu, and get this: he's two-footed!
Did you know?
When Söyüncü earned his first senior international cap for Turkey at just 19, he became the first player from former employers Altindoru SK - a team in the Turkish second division - to be called up in 78 years. Seventy-eight years!
What they're saying
"I've had two fantastic years, I've improved as a player - but of course I've still got a lot more improving to do." - Söyüncü
"The way he got accustomed to a completely different culture had been amazing. It shows very good character." - Freiburg striker Nils Petersen
"I'm really happy with his development. He's more mature than I am." - Freiburg head coach Christian Streich