Who is Niklas Sule?

We take a look at Hoffenheim defender Niklas Sule, who turned down Chelsea and has been linked to both Liverpool and Tottenham.

The towering German centre-back has been steadily enhancing his reputation in the Bundesliga for a few seasons and recently made his debut for the senior national team.  A whole host of top English clubs are monitoring his progress, with Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino particularly interested.

But who is he, what is his playing style and would he be suited to life in the Premier League? Here’s everything you need to know about the young defender…

FACTFILE

Age: 21Position: Centre-back

Club: 1899 Hoffenheim

Nationality: GermanInternational caps: 1 (10 for U21s)

BACKGROUND

Born in Frankfurt, Sule began his career with nearby Rot-Weiß Walldorf before moves to the youth ranks of Eintracht Frankfurt, SV Darmstadt 98 and eventually 1899 Hoffenheim where he has been since the age of 14.

He quickly progressed through Hoffenheim’s age groups and was also making a name for himself on the international stage as a cornerstone of the Germany U17 team that finished as runners-up of the 2012 European U17 Championship.  Sule started all 10 games for in a German defence that conceded only twice before losing to The Netherlands in the final.

2012/13 would prove to be Sule’s breakthrough year as he carried his international form through to club level, progressing from Hoffenheim U19s to the reserves before being fast-tracked into the first team. Aged 17, Sule made his senior debut at the tail end of the season in a 4-1 loss to Hamburg as Die Kraichgauer narrowly retained their Bundesliga status.

The following season Sule began to establish himself as …

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