AC Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu completes shock move to arch-rivals Inter on a free transfer – becoming the 39th player to cross the divide – after Turkey star was linked to Manchester United and Arsenal
- Midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu has completed a shock free transfer to Inter Milan
- The AC Milan and Turkey star was a key part of Stefano Pioli’s side last season
- Calhanoglu has signed a three-year deal in the blue half of the Italian city
- The 27-year-old is the 39th player to cross the Milan divide in football history
Hakan Calhanoglu has completed his shock move from AC Milan to Inter Milan and has signed a three-year deal with the Serie A champions.
The 27-year-old Turkish international midfielder moves on a free transfer having failed to agree new terms with Stefano Pioli’s side.
Calhanoglu was a key component of the Rossoneri side that led the Scudetto race until the start of February, before collapsing in the final months of the season which led to Inter lifting their first Italian top-flight title in 11 years.
AC Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu has completed a shock free transfer to rivals Inter
The midfielder was a key part of Stefano Pioli’s Milan side but failed to agree a new contract
The Turk, who is famed for his expert free-kick taking ability, scored nine goals and added 12 assists to the Milan cause last season but will now play in the colours of the club’s arch-rivals Inter Milan.
Calhanoglu is likely to become a replacement for Christian Eriksen, whose future in football is unsure after suffering a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 match with Finland earlier this month.
Eriksen – who needed to be resuscitated on the field with the use of a defibrillator – was discharged from hospital on Friday, and returned home to be with his wife and young children.
The Danish star has also been fitted with a implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to regulate his heart’s rhythm, and it remains unknown whether he will continue his football playing career.
Calhanoglu could be a replacement for Christian Eriksen whose future in football is unknown
Italy have strict rules on players competing with heart problems and could ban the Danish midfielder from playing in Italy’s top-flight with the ICD attached.
Calhanoglu revealed he would not be announcing his next move until after Turkey’s European Championships campaign, which ended on Sunday after his country lost their third and final game of the tournament against Switzerland.
In recent years a Premier League move with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal has been touted, though no concrete interest emerged and Inter have won the race for the free agent.
Goal claim AC Milan’s offer for the player to renew was £3.4million annual salary plus a signing bonus of around £428,000 which they first made in January and never raised, despite Calhanoglu’s hesitation to sign renewed terms.
Calhanoglu heads to Milan after a pointless Euro 2020 campaign with Turkey this summer
Now, he will reportedly earn £4.3m plus a £860,000 bonus at Inter.
The Turkish midfielder is now the 39th player to have represented both Inter and AC Milan, following in the footsteps of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andrea Pirlo, Ronaldo, Clarence Seedorf and Roberto Baggio.
He is also the first player to swap red-and-black for blue-and-black in nearly a decade, with forward Antonio Cassano being the last footballer to cross the Milan divide.
Calhanoglu is the 39th player to play for both big Milan clubs after Christian Vieri and Ronaldo
Calhanoglu is also the first new face in Simone Inzaghi’s summer transfer window plans at the Nerazzurri, who appointed the former Lazio boss earlier this month.
Inter have also made on-loan defender Matteo Darmian’s temporary spell into a permanent one this summer for around £2million.
The 31-year-old helped the Nerazzurri to the Serie A title by scoring some important goals towards the back end of the season.