Manchester United in advanced talks to sign Hakan Calhanoglu
According to Bild’s Christian Falk via Stretford Paddock Podcast (h/t The Sun), Manchester United are increasingly likely to sign Hakan Calhanoglu.
This comes after the revelation that the Red Devils are currently in advanced talks to land the Turkish international. The 26-year-old is in the final year of his contract at AC Milan and could be secured on a free transfer next summer.
While the Italian giants are keen to tie the player down, his demands are thought to be impossible to meet. United are currently odds on favourites from a number of bookmakers like Betfair to sign the attacking midfielder with odds as high as 2.5, which puts the Red Devils in a comfortable position to finish the deal.
With time running out, Calhanoglu appears to be heading to the exit door. He will be able to talk to potential buyers in January and work out a pre-contract agreement for the summer.
His availability has piqued the interest of a number of European giants such as Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
According to Falk, however, United are firmly in the driving seat in the race to land the Turkish star. He revealed that the player rejected interest from Juventus last summer in anticipation to a switch to United.
“He said no because he already knew what would happen this summer with United.”
“Talks are already very, very far at the moment and he’ll be a free agent, so this transfer is very, very likely.”
Falk believes Calhanoglu can thrive in an environment where he is surrounded by excellent players. He went on to suggest that Paul Pogba could help him thrive.
The Frenchman has struggled for United this summer. If signing Calhanoglu can also help him bring the best out of Pogba, United will be killing two birds with one stone.
More Manchester United News
- Manchester United keeping tabs on Samuel Chukwueze
- Man United star Marcus Rashford named in Football Black List after child poverty campaign
- Manchester United a potential destination for Inter Milan flop Christian Eriksen
While it is debatable if Calhanoglu can slot into our first XI, he is definitely a more than decent option on the bench.
Add to it his prowess in set-pieces, he could be a real weapon in our arsenal. His ability to strike a knuckleball is reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo and Juninho Pernambucano.
A versatile player capable of fulfilling a number of roles, he will give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a number of options. The opportunity to land such a player for free is not something we should pass on.