Go for it Emery – Arsenal signing this 19-year-old similar to Hummels is the step in the right direction

Freiburg defender Caglar Soyuncu has confirmed that Arsenal are interested in securing his services in the summer transfer window.

Arsenal are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements following their dismal season in which they conceded more than 50 goals. Arsenal’s new boss Unai Emery replaced Arsene Wenger and needs to reshape the squad.

Knowing that Laurent Koscielny is sidelined for long-term, Per Mertesacker is set to become the manager of the Arsenal academy and Shkodran Mustafi suffered an inconsistent campaign, Emery’s priority will be to sign a central defender, perhaps two, to compete for silverware next season.

Freiburg’s Caglar Soyuncu has been on Arsenal’s radar, with the London-based club’s head of recruitment Sven Mislintat highly impressed after watching the young Turk perform this season.

For the ones who are not aware of Soyuncu, he was snapped up from the Turkish second tier at the age of 19 by Freiburg. Having spent the last few years in the Bundesliga, Soyuncu has come a long way. The meteoric rise at Freiburg has seen him become one of the most reliable young centre-backs in Germany.

Initially, Soyuncu struggled to cope with the intensity and speed of the Bundesliga but with time, he has developed massively.

Aggressive and comfortable with the ball at his feet, Soyuncu can be compared with Bayern Munich defender Mats Hummels due to their similar style of play. The Turk is regarded as a ball-playing centre-back, quite adept at playing from both feet.

Soyuncu is dominant in the air and offers a lot of physicality to Freiburg. He is a very good reader of the game and is not scared of making interceptions further up the field.

The Turkish international rarely panics in pressure situations, bringing his calm and composed nature to overcome difficulties in the game. It is the confidence and self-belief the 22-year-old possesses that make him such a confident defender to have in the squad.

However, his positioning sense has been questioned quite a few times but it could be resolved as he matures more. Another facet of his game which needs to be ironed out is his unnecessary nature of picking up bookings.

Keeping these flaws aside, Soyuncu is a top talent and has all the raw materials to become a top centre-half in world football. Also, at just 22, Soyuncu is already a mainstay in the Turkey national team under Mircea Lucescu.

The Gunners do need more quality at the back and Soyuncu would be a great signing. Emery must break the bank to lure Soyuncu away from Bundesliga.