Bundesliga defender confirms Arsenal talks are planned

Freiburg defender Caglar Soyuncu has confirmed Arsenal are interested in signing him this summer.

The Gunners have been heavily linked with a move for Soyuncu in the last month and are favourites to wrap up a deal for the £35m-rated defender. 

Sven Mislintat, who is Arsenal’s new head of recruitment, has been tracking the 22-year-old since his time working at Borussia Dortmund.

Unai Emery’s shock arrival at Arsenal has not changed things for the north London outfit and Soyuncu has revealed there will be talks when he returns from international duty with Turkey.

“Arsenal are one of the most important clubs in England,” The Daily Mail quote Soyuncu as saying by Turkish media. “I know they’re interested in me, but there’s nothing finalised yet about my trainer. “After the national team camp we’ll have talks.”

Arsenal are wasting little time in their preparations for next season, having also opened talks with Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner about a free transfer.

Soyuncu made his international debut for Turkey just prior to joining Freiburg in July 2016 and now the Bundesliga minnows looks set to cash in on the youngster.

He made 26 appearances for a Freiburg side that finished one place above the relegation play-off spot in the Bundesliga this season.

Of outfielders that made at least 25 starts in the Bundesliga this season, only Julian Korb (6.55) and Gideon Jung (6.57) garnered lower WhoScored ratings than Soyuncu (6.61).