Leicester need Soyuncu to step up next season after taking time to adjust to English football

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Caglar Soyuncu joined Leicester City last summer from German outfit Freiburg for a fee the BBC reported at the time was £19m.

That’s a considerable amount of money and Claude Puel was evidently looking to reshape a Foxes defence still clinging to players who won the club the league back in 2015/16.

Filip Benkovic came in at the same time but was loaned out to Celtic where he’s had a fantastic season, while Soyuncu remained at the King Power Stadium and struggled.

He has struggled to adapt to English football, with experienced heads Jonny Evans and Wes Morgan seeing far more gametime than the Turkish international.

With England World Cup hero Harry Maguire anchoring Brendan Rodgers’ backline and Benkovic returning from loan with his stock further heightened, it’s not going to get any easier for Soyuncu to force his way into the team next season.

But Leicester need the man Spotrac claim earns £45,000 a week in the East Midlands to step up or risk him becoming an expensive bust in the mould of Islam Slimani or Ahmed Musa.

At 22, time is still on Soyuncu’s side somewhat, but his recent nervous concession of a penalty against toothless Huddersfield hints at a timidity he must eradicate from his game next season if he is to become a success.

Leicester need players to come in and dislodge the likes of Evans and Morgan, both of whom won’t be around forever, but Soyuncu must improve markedly to be that man. He’s the Foxes’ biggest disappointment of 2018/19.