West Ham are believed to be interested in signing Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu during the summer transfer window, according to a fresh report regarding his future.
How old is Hakan Calhanoglu?
Now 29 years of age, Calhanoglu has enjoyed an excellent career for club and country, standing out as a high-quality creative midfielder full of class in the middle of the park. For years, he has been renowned as one of the best free-kick takers in the world, with his brilliance in that aspect of his game almost unmatched throughout history.
The 78-time-capped Turkey international has scored 17 goals for his country and he joined Inter in 2021, making 95 appearances for them to date and helping them reach last season's Champions League final against Manchester City, which they ultimately lost 1-0 in Istanbul back in June.
While Calhanoglu's current deal in Italy doesn't expire until the summer of 2027, it could be that a bid arrives for him in the current transfer window. Whether Inter are willing to sell him remains to be seen, but a move to the Premier League doesn't appear to be out of the question.
With West Ham looking for further reinforcements ahead of the 2023/24 season, it looks as though the Turk could be on their transfer radar, in what looks like an exciting rumour.
Could West Ham sign Hakan Calhanoglu?
According to Spazio Inter [via Hammers News], the Hammers are plotting to do a "madness" this summer and bid £43m for his signature. With Declan Rice leaving for Arsenal in a big-money move, a void has been left in the middle of the park, and Calhanoglu could be seen as someone to come in and make up for the loss of the influential former captain. It's added that Lucas Paqueta could also leave, with West Ham viewing Calhanoglu as a potential replacement.
Former AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli has hailed him in the past during their time together at the club, saying:
"Calhanoglu is a leader of this team. He’s a leader on the pitch, he’s an intelligent player. Lately, we have faced teams that have closed the spaces and therefore, sometimes, I have had to lower him even though I want to keep him high. He knows how to marry perfectly with the game of his teammates. I have great respect for him and with intelligent players, you can play great games. He has the qualities to have some more goals."
At 29, Calhanoglu isn't necessarily a long-term option who will remain at his peak for many more years to come, but he could inject some immediate quality in the team, not to mention having a huge amount of experience. Fatih Terim has also called him a "phenomenon" in the past, further highlighting how much quality he possesses.
Journalist Josh Bunting has also revered Calhanoglu's "absolutely sensational" range of passing.
The Inter maestro has represented some of the biggest clubs in Europe, so he wouldn't be a daunted by a move to West Ham, and he is actually someone who could raise the level of everyone around him, bringing such a huge amount of technical ability and a knowledge of playing alongside some world-class players down the years.
