Atletico Madrid are enjoying an excellent first-half of the season, as was exemplified by the contrast in their final Champions League group game this season compared to last. Yet the January transfer window has the potential to be an unsettling period for Diego Simeone, with a number of futures in the air, including that of Caglar Soyuncu.
After Mario Hermoso admitted that he had still not started talks with Atletico over a new deal, Soyuncu is another who could exit in January. The Turkish central defender arrived in the summer on a free from Leicester City, but is yet to start a match.
🚨| BREAKING: Ilias Kostis is practically out for the rest of the season! The academy center-back who impressed Simeone will undergo surgery after a serious muscular injury, as per @marca. 🇬🇷
Ánimo, @IliasKostis! 😢❤️🤍 pic.twitter.com/4BimwrT0ag
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) December 12, 2023
This has led to him being linked with a move to the Fenerbahce and Besiktas on loan until the end of the season, with the Euros in Germany on his mind. No doubt Soyuncu wants to be in top shape for the tournament. Those reports were rubbished during the course of this week, but it has not stopped rumours of a potential exit.
As per Diario AS, it is 50-50 on whether he leaves in January. The Turkish press claim that Turkey manager Vincenzo Montella has advised Soyuncu that if he wants to be a starter at the Euros, he is better off going somewhere he can get regular minutes.
It does seem unlikely that Simeone would be willing to tinker with a functioning back line save in the event of injuries or other exits. Reinildo Mandava is also on his way back from injury, and he was a guaranteed starter before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, which would make opportunities even harder for Soyuncu to come by. It will likely come down to how much Soyuncu is desperate to secure a starting spot in the Euros, or whether he thinks he can still earn one without being a regular.
