Caglar Soyuncu is ready to frustrate Manchester City and his many other reported suitors by committing his future to Leicester.
The Turkish centre-half has seen his stock rise considerably throughout the 2019-20 campaign after he was asked to fill a Harry Maguire-shaped void by the Foxes when the England international completed a record-breaking move to Manchester United.
Soyuncu has quickly become a star in his own right, with a collection of consistent and commanding performances seeing him spark talk of a big-money transfer.
The 23-year-old is, however, tied to a long-term contract and has no desire to take on a new challenge any time soon.
Quizzed on his future by Fotomac, Soyuncu said: “I don't think it would be right to go somewhere right now. I'm having a good season. Above all, I still have a lot to learn.”
Soyuncu is rightly proud of his efforts in the current campaign, with Maguire barely missed at the King Power Stadium as Brendan Rodgers has found another reliable partner for Jonny Evans.
“He is the most expensive defender in the world and your team does not buy another because it trusts you,” Soyuncu said when asked about filling Maguire’s boots. “You play instead of someone who transferred for 80 million pounds.
“We're going well now, but the important thing is to keep it going. I played 30 matches, but it's important to increase this to three-digit numbers. It is very important to be at the same level throughout your career.
“After the games we played well, I was preparing myself as if I was preparing for my first game in the first training. I think this has had an effect. We still have the ambition to win. I think this is very important for young players.”
Soyuncu was snapped up by Leicester from Freiburg in the summer of 2018. They were buying into potential at that point and handed him just eight appearances across his debut campaign.
He has made 35 outings this term, becoming a key component in a Foxes side that has cemented a place inside the Premier League’s top four while also progressing to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup – where they were due to face Chelsea before football shut down amid the coronavirus outbreak.