Arsenal are considering a move for Hakan Calhanoglu as they look to bolster their attacking midfield options.
The Gunners were pipped to the signing of Norwich's Emiliano Buendia by Aston Villa on Monday and are now pursuing other transfer targets.
Calhanoglu will officially become a free agent on June 30 once his contract at Milan expires, and the fact he'll be available on a free may appeal to the cash-strapped Gunners. James Benge of CBS Sports revealed on Monday that the former Bayer Leverkusen star is a player Arsenal are considering a move for.
The 27-year-old is part of the Turkey squad who will participate at Euro 2020, and so fans of the north London club will no doubt be watching him closely after being linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium.
Another target who Arsenal are understood to have broached internally is Hakan Calhanoglu, out of contract with AC Milan this summer. He is an option, not clear how high on the list he might be but expectation is he's an alternative to Odegaard.
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) June 7, 2021
Milan have presented the player's representatives with a renewal offer, but, as per reports in Italy, the two parties are miles away from reaching an agreement with the midfielder's demands exceeding the offer tabled by quite some distance.
Despite the uncertainty regarding Calhanoglu's future throughout the course of last season, to his credit, he was able to remain focused and played a significant part in Milan's qualification for the Champions League for the first time since the 2013/14 season.
Benge also confirmed the Gunners retain a strong interest in Martin Odegaard after the Norwegian spent the second half of last season on loan at the Emirates Stadium. However, it remains to be seen whether or not Real Madrid would be open to selling the 22-year-old after Carlo Ancelotti replaced Zinedine Zidane.
In the event Arsenal are unable to acquire their preferred target, which is widely believed to be Odegaard, Calhanoglu feels like a good alternative given he's proven himself a capable provider during his time in Serie A - providing his teammates with 48 assists and netting 32 times in 172 appearances.
Source : 90min