Çağlar Söyüncü: The Rock At The Back
Çağlar Söyüncü joined the Club in the summer of 2018, but it is the Turkey international's performances in 2019/20 which have endeared him so warmly to the Blue Army.
Throughout the current Premier League season, Söyüncü has established himself as a key man in Brendan Rodgers’ expressive, yet defensively structured, third-placed Foxes line-up.
The İzmir-born defender has also built a formidable partnership with Jonny Evans, who is the only outfield player to have made more Premier League appearances than Söyüncü this season (29).
Friday Fives: Çağlar Söyüncü
As part of a new feature on LCFC TV, Friday Fives takes a look at some of our stars' best moments so far in 2019/20, beginning with Çağlar Söyüncü.
Few would have anticipated the impact he would go on to have in his second season with the Foxes and the 23-year-old’s performances have led to plaudits from former players and coaches alike.
“He’s flying isn’t he,” Gerry Taggart said on LCFC TV in December. “He’s getting better and better, he’s the real deal. In his own fashion and the way he plays the game, he could be a top centre-half and go all the way to the top.”
Taggart, himself a centre-back in his Leicester City days, has also noted an improvement which has come into Söyüncü game, leading to the former SC Freiburg defender becoming an almost ever-present this season, missing just one Premier League matchday.
“He’s less rash in his decision making and now his positional game has improved as well and obviously it would have helped with Jonny,” he added.
Only Sheffield United and reigning champions Manchester City have conceded fewer goals than Leicester this season, in part down to the imperious form of the man affectionately known as Çağs.
Leicester have already matched last season’s clean sheet tally (10), and their goals conceded ratio is down from 1.26 per game to 1.03. Burnley are the only team to boast more shutouts this season.
Söyüncü's displays in blue have caught the eye since August, when his manager commented: “When you work closely with him, you see his quality.
“He had big boots to fill and he’s been very, very good in both games. For a modern-day centre-back, he’s exactly what you want."
Çağlar Söyüncü vs. Crystal Palace
Çağlar Söyüncü's first goal for Leicester City put them in front against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The Foxes’ style of play has been led from the back, where Söyüncü's has made (1,862) and successfully completed (89.31 per cent) more passes than any other City player this season, numbers which are only bettered by five other players in the overall Premier League charts.
In addition, quite amazingly, he has been dispossessed just once this season, and also tops City's charts for making the most blocks (17), as well as the most aerial battles won (86).
Back in November 2019, the Turkish international demonstrated his prowess at the opposite end of the pitch, flicking in James Maddison’s corner to net for the first time in a Leicester City shirt and set Rodgers’ side on the way to a 2-0 victory away at Crystal Palace.
Foxes fans will be hoping for more of those magic moments from Söyüncü, as he continues to cement his position at the heart of City's defence.