Arsenal In Talks To Sign International Star As Emery Closes-In On £51m Double Swoop

The summer transfer window is open and managers are working hard on their transfer targets so we’ll bring you all the latest gossip from around the globe. Today, Arsenal are linked with two defenders…

Arsenal are in talks to sign Freiburg star Caglar Soyuncu as Unai Emery closes-in on a £51m double defensive swoop also involving Sokratis Papastathopoulos, according to Sky Sports via the Daily Star.

Emery has already been busy in the transfer market after signing right-back Stephan Lichsteiner from Juventus while Bernd Leno has arrived from Bayer Leverkusen but the Arsenal boss is still looking to further strengthen his back-line over the coming weeks.

Per Mertesacker has moved in to a coaching role following his retirement while Laurent Koscielny will miss a large part of next season after undergoing Achilles surgery so we’re reportedly on the market for two centre-backs.

Soyuncu has emerged as a target in recent weeks and the Daily Star are citing Sky Sports News as claiming that Arsenal are locked in negotiations with Freiburg over a potential deal.

The report says head of recruitment Sven Mislintat has been leading the charge to sign Soyuncu but the Bundesliga club are demanding around £35m for the 22-year-old’s signature.

Soyuncu admitted last week that he wants to join Arsenal in order to play in the Premier League but admits the decision is down to Freiburg as he still has three years remaining on his contract.

The defender is quoted by the Daily Star as saying:

“I hope I go to Arsenal. I really want to play in the Premier League, but everything depends on the team. I have a contract [at Freiburg] for three more years.”

Soyuncu has developed in to one of the most promising young centre-backs in German football since joining Freiburg from Altinordu in 2016 and he’s also now an established part of the Turkish national team so he’d be an exciting addition to the squad.

Soyuncu isn’t the only defender we’re in for as the Daily Star claims we’re still expected to wrap-up a deal to sign Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Borussia Dortmund any day now.

Sokratis has been strongly linked with a move to the Emirates this summer and the Telegraph reported earlier this month that a £16m deal has been agreed with the centre-back set to sign a three-year contract.

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The 30-year-old has just one year remaining on his current contract at the Westfalonstadion so Dortmund have decided to cash-in but the deal isn’t expected to go through until next month so the German giants can put it on next year’s financial books.

We’ll have to wait and see how talks progress over Soyuncu but it looks like Arsenal could be about to splash £51m on two new centre-backs as Emery continues to over haul his newly-inherited squad.