Arsenal reportedly scouted Hakan Calhanoglu on Sunday.
According to Turkish-Football, Arsenal scouted AC Milan playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu against Inter Milan on Sunday night.
Milan were 2-0 up at half time in the Derby della Madonnina, but managed to lose 4-2 in a shocking collapse from Stefano Pioli’s side.
Milan players won’t have impressed many with their collapse, but it’s suggested that Arsenal were taking another look at Calhanoglu ahead of the summer window.
How did he perform?
Calhanoglu started the game as a number 10, working behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a 4-4-1-1 setup from Pioli, and he did hit the crossbar with a powerful effort.
The Turkish international created two chances, but none of his shots or crosses were accurate, serving up a relatively disappointing performance.
The 26-year-old didn’t have the influence on the game that Milan would have wanted, and that may be a concern for Arsenal as they look for a new playmaker.
Ozil’s replacement?
Arsenal will be in the market for an attacking midfielder because Dani Ceballos will be heading back to Real Madrid, and Mesut Ozil’s future seems rather unclear.
Signing Calhanoglu to replace Ozil would be interesting, as Roger Schmidt – Calhanoglu’s boss at Bayer Leverkusen – told Goal in 2015 that he though Calhanoglu was ‘the new Ozil’.
Calhanoglu hasn’t lived up to that hype in recent years, but Arsenal are seemingly keeping close tabs on him ahead of Mikel Arteta potentially making a move this summer.
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