Freiburg Official Delivers Key Update on Rumoured Arsenal Pursuit of Caglar Soyuncu
Arsenal appear unlikely to wrap up a deal for long term reported target Caglar Soyuncu in what remains of the summer transfer window, after the Turkish defender's current club Freiburg claimed there has never been any approach from the Gunners.
After speculation over Arsenal interest first in Soyuncu first emerged last season, the rumours went into overdrive when Mehmet Ozkan, president of the player's previous club in Turkey, claimed the Premier League club had asked for information on him.
"Caglar Soyuncu is set to join Arsenal. Of course we would make a cut from the transfer if he joins Arsenal," he said at the time. "Arsenal asked us for data on his time at the club, we have put something together for them which will be handed over."
The Gunners were said to be still be interested in landing the 22-year-old despite also signing the more experienced Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Borussia Dortmund.
It even prompted Soyuncu to say: "It is true that there is an offer from Arsenal. I hope I will go there. I really want to play in the Premier League, but it all depends on my club."
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His agent, Mustafa Dogru, additionally commented, "There are concrete talks, all that remains is for a fee to be agreed. We will see what happens next."
But assuming there is truth to their claims about Arsenal making contact and holding talks over personal terms, it would appear that the Gunners stopped short of taking their supposed interest to the next level by not actually establishing formal contact with Freiburg.
Freiburg sporting director Klemens Hartenbach has now alleged that the Bundesliga club has never received an offer and therefore Soyuncu won't be leaving this summer.
"Arsenal has never approached us. We assume that Soyuncu plays with us next year," Hartenbach has told German publication Bild.
If Arsenal do still want to sign Soyuncu, they have less than two weeks before the deadline.
