West Ham United have been linked with a summer transfer for AC Milan attacker Hakan Calhanoglu, it has been reported.
It was earlier reported by Italian outlet Calciomercato that Milan are looking to sell the Turkish attacker as he has not been able to show the consistency he showed at his former club Bayer Leverkusen.
Now, Turkish outlet Fanatik have claimed that Calhanoglu has been put for sale by Milan, and a fee of €30 million might be enough to sign him.
West Ham have reportedly been linked with a move for the player, and are set to compete with Leicester City for the former Hamburg star.
Hakan Calhanoglu to West Ham United – More creativity in attack
The Turk isn’t having the best of seasons at Milan, but it is not entirely his fault as he has been rotated different positions too often this season. Milan themselves haven’t been too consistent, so it is probably a bit unfair to put the blame on Calhanoglu.
Predominantly a left midfielder or winger, Calhanoglu’s strengths are his ability to pick a pass, and test goalkeepers with his brilliant shooting prowess.
Calhanoglu isn’t blessed with an incredible burst of speed, but he is one of the best players in terms of his technique in that Milan team. Considering he is tailor-made for the Serie A, it’s a bit of a surprise Milan want to get rid of them.
At 25, Calhanoglu still has a lot of time on his side, and if Manuel Pellegrini can integrate him in the number 10 role at West Ham, he would make the West Ham attack a lot more potent.
This season, Calhanoglu averages 2.3 key passes per game in the Serie A, a number that might go up in the Premier League considering the Italian league is a lot more pragmatic than the English top flight.
Even if he is deployed in his preferred left midfield role, Felipe Anderson can be used on the right, which in the end is another system. The more, the better.
Calhanoglu thrived in the German Bundesliga before his move to AC Milan, and considering the Premier League is more similar to the German league, the Turk might turn out to be a pretty shrewd buy for a fee of just €30 million.
Stats courtesy: Whoscored
