Inter Milan star Hakan Calhanoglu will not be joining Premier League duo Leeds United or Southampton with Fabrizio Romano reporting on Twitter that he is set for a new contract at the Serie A giants.
As far as ‘scoops’ go, this is not exactly Romano’s most groundbreaking.
Inter, due to their very well-publicised financial issues, are once again facing a summer of cost-cutting. But even if Calhanoglu was up for sale, you’d get particularly long odds on the 2022 Coppa Italia winner giving up Champions League football for a Southampton side nailed to the bottom of the table.
Or, indeed, a Leeds side just three points ahead in 17th.
“Reports of Southampton or Leeds being options for Hakan Calhanoglu are 100 per cent wide of the mark,” Romano writes.
“He’s not going to leave Inter. Inter are closing in on an agreement to extend Calhanoglu’s contract.”
Hakan Calhanoglu will not be joining Leeds United or Southampton
The former Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburg playmaker, who joined Inter from bitter rivals AC Milan on a free transfer, is expected to earn around £100,000-a-week at the San Siro. Terms Calhanoglu has now accepted (Calciomercato).
Calhanoglu, reportedly valued at around £25 million, has three goals and six assists for Simone Inzaghi’s side this term.
“Exceptionally talented,” Gary Lineker told the BBC during Turkey’s Euro 2020 opener against Italy at the Stadio Olympico in Rome. “Creative.”
“He is very talented,” former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas responds. “What I like about him is that he takes risks to create forward.”
Leeds beat Southampton 1-0 in a tense Elland Road clash last week; Junior Firpo’s right-footed shot slipping through Gavin Bazunu’s arm to give Javi Gracia a win on his home debut in the West Yorkshire dugout.
Leeds will be hoping to build on that impressive start away to Graham Potter’s bumbling Chelsea on Saturday. The London giants will be without star centre-back Thiago Silva.
Ruben Selles’ Southampton, meanwhile, host out-of-sorts Leicester City. But how is their confidence? That shock midweek defeat to fourth-tier Grimsby Town in the FA Cup is exactly what Selles didn’t need. A Saints win, however, coupled with a Leeds loss would see both sides level on points again.
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