Chelsea are one of the clubs in the race to bring an overseas central player to the Premier League, according to a fresh report.
Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield options
The Blues have Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu as their natural options in defensive midfield, and with the former two having only put pen to paper over the summer, the manager doesn’t need to strengthen that position any further. However, Mauricio Pochettino will know that his side are sitting 10th in the table so could be forced to enter the market to find players who would be an upgrade on his existing squad members, and he’s seemingly set his sights on one potential candidate.
Back in 2021, Inter Milan’s Hakan Calhanoglu first arrived at the San Siro Stadium from AC Milan and he’s since gone on to make a total of 112 senior appearances to date under Simone Inzaghi (Transfermarkt – Calhanoglu statistics).
The Turkey international has firmly established himself as the Serie A outfit’s best-performing defensive player so far this season (WhoScored – Inter Milan statistics), and the 29-year-old’s impressive form has brought him onto the radar at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea interested in Hakan Calhanoglu
According to InterLive (via Sport Witness), Chelsea are keen on signing Calhanoglu, but they aren’t alone in their pursuit with Liverpool and West Ham also hoping to secure his services in January.
The Premier League trio are “likely” to make a move for the talisman in the coming weeks, but even if a concrete attempt is made, Inter Milan wouldn’t be willing to sanction his sale, even for a fee in the region of approximately €50m (£42m).
Todd Boehly could land “sensational” talent in Calhanoglu
Being a defensive midfielder, Calhanoglu is naturally stronger at clearing the danger and protecting his backline which he’s proven so far this season by winning 20 out of 35 tackles, more than any other of his fellow teammates (FBRef – Inter Milan statistics).
Mannheim’s native also likes to get involved with the action in the final third having posted seven contributions (six goals and one assist), in 14 Serie A appearances since the start of the campaign, showing his ability to make an impact at both ends of the pitch.
Likes to play long balls |
Plays the ball off the ground often |
Likes to shoot from distance |
Commits fouls often |
Sponsored by Nike, Pochettino’s target even knows what it takes to compete and be successful at a high level having secured six trophies on a collective level following his arrival on the professional scene, so he will possess a much-needed winning mentality that he could pass onto the rest of the squad in the capital.
Finally, Calhanoglu shares the same representative, Unique Sports Group, as Reece James (Chelsea agents), so the existing connection that the “sensational” player’s management already have to the club, as hailed by journalist Josh Bunting, could give them a small advantage over their competitors when trying to get a deal over the line.
