Arsenal, Liverpool rejected as departing Milan star picks shock new club
AC Milan star Hakan Calhanoglu is reported to have spurned advances from Liverpool and Arsenal after deciding to make a cross-city switch to Inter Milan this summer.
The 27-year-old Turk enters free-transfer territory from July 1, having failed to agree a new deal at Milan. The 57-times capped Turkey playmaker has spent four seasons at Milan, scoring 32 times in 172 appearances. However, talks over a new deal have failed to yield a positive result and Calhanoglu will now leave the club.
As a result, he’s been strongly linked with a number of Premier League sides. Manchester United were the first to show their interest, though that never resulted in a firm bid.
He’s also been linked with Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea, while Arsenal too are also reportedly keen.
Indeed, Mikel Arteta’s side are reported to have made a concrete proposal to his representatives as they look to plug the gap left by Martin Odegaard.
They were not alone, however, with Liverpool just last week also reported to have registered their interest. That’s after the Turk’s entourage reportedly contacted the Reds to discuss a potential deal.
However, as per trusted reporter Fabrizio Romano, Calhanoglu has instead opted to make a controversial move to Inter.
Per Romano, the 27-year-old has agreed a three-year deal with the Nerazzurri, taking him through to 2024. That comes about after the player reportedly rejected a late, improved offer from Milan to extend his stay with the Rossoneri.
He was said to be seeking a package worth €10m a year, with Milan’s final offer reportedly falling short at €7.5m.
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Calhanoglu move likely to anger Milan fans
The move to Inter has already ‘been confirmed’ on his Wikipedia page.
The transfer, while not unheard of in the Italian game, is unlikely to go down well with Milan supporters.
Prior to the start of Euro 2020, he talked up his affection for Stefano Piolo’s side.
He told Fotomac: “Milan are special for me, we are back in the Champions League and it is a great result for the team.
“I haven’t decided on my future yet and I don’t want to talk about it now. I just want to focus on the Euros.”
Nevertheless, he would prove a fantastic acquisition for a club in Europe, with Juventus also showing interest.
Calhanoglu finished the season with nine goals and 12 assists in all competitions. Meanwhile, he has contributed 32 goals and 48 assists for Milan since signing from Bayer Leverkusen in 2017.
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