Arsenal Transfer News: Hakan Calhanoglu Boost Amid Manchester United Rumours
Rob Blanchette@@_Rob_B
Featured ColumnistOctober 28, 2015
Arsenal's pursuit of Hakan Calhanoglu could be ready to reach the next level with news his club are prepared to sell the player if his valuation is met.
Bayer Leverkusen CEO Michael Schade admitted to German newspaper Sportbild (h/t Alex Harris of the Daily Star) he might allow the 21-year-old talent to leave the club, in light of interest from the Gunners and Manchester United: "We want to keep Hakan, but with us there is a pain threshold. I am calm and relaxed."
The Bundesliga outfit are believed to rate the Turkey international at £29 million, per Harris.
The No. 10 suits Arsenal's pass-and-move style. The German-born player is just as happy behind the striker as he is on the flank, and he was in exceptional form last season.
Calhanoglu scored eight goals and assisted six times in the Bundesliga last year, according to WhoScored.com. His performances helped the BayArena club to fourth spot in the table and a ticket to the Champions League.
The player is a dead-ball specialist, as ESPN FC's James Horncastle recently highlighted in Europe:
It is debatable whether Arsenal need a player of Calhanoglu's type as they have a host of attacking midfielders at their disposal.
The quoted price of £29 million would be a tough sum for the Gunners to pay for a player who might not get ahead of Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla in the starting XI.
However, the youngster has an increasing reputation across Germany and Europe and promises to be one of his country's stars at UEFA Euro 2016.
Squawka.com's David O'Brien spoke about the midfielder's recent exploits, comparing his statistics to a legendary talent:
Calhanoglu will attract interest from many suitors, especially with the January transfer window soon to open, but with Leverkusen looking good to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages, a departure would be more favourable next summer.
United are in dire need of attacking talent, in comparison to Arsenal, but manager Arsene Wenger's reluctance to buy a world-class striker may push him towards looking for a versatile attacking midfielder.
The Turkish player has the attributes to succeed in the Premier League, and his free-kick capabilities would make him a potential asset to any of the Premier League's top clubs.
He has the skill set to both defend and attack, and he would give the Gunners an additional engine at their core.