Newcastle United are reportedly keen on Hakan Calhanoglu.
According to The Chronicle, Newcastle United have been scouting AC Milan playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu ‘extensively’ this season.
It’s claimed that Newcastle’s scouts appear to have been instructed to find a winger this summer, and Calhanoglu seems to be on name on the radar.
Whether Newcastle can actually conjure up a move to bring Calhanoglu to St James’ Park remains to be seen, but he’s certainly an exciting target.
Underwhelming season
If Newcastle have been scouting Calhanoglu this term, they may not love what they’ve seen; he’s notched just five goals and one assist in 25 games.
That’s a real dip creatively having racked up 13 assists last season, and Newcastle would be hoping to get him back to that level if they do sign him.
Calhanoglu is dangerous from long range and set pieces, scoring some remarkable goals over the years, but his lack of pace means he either cuts in from the left – Allan Saint-Maximin’s position – or plays as a number 10.
Once compared to Ozil
Calhanoglu was a star in Germany with Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen, and Winfried Schafer even suggested that he was ‘the new Ozil’ in 2015.
The Turkish ace hasn’t quite been able to live up to that comparison, failing to reach the level of the Arsenal star even with his decline in recent years.
Still, there’s clearly talent in Calhanoglu, and at 26, he’s at a perfect age to start playing his best football soon – which Newcastle may hope is with them.
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