Manchester United in 'concrete negotiations' with Hakan Calhanoglu
Manchester United have started discussions with AC Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu over a free transfer at the end of the 2020-21 season. The 26-year-old is in his last year of contract at the Italian giants.
According to Bild reporter Christian Falk, the Premier League giants had been in talks with Calhanoglu during the last transfer window but elected against making a move. The Turkish midfielder has scored 27 goals in 137 appearances since making his move from the Bundesliga.
Manchester United interested in signing Hakan Calhanoglu for free
Manchester United could add more depth to their midfield for next season by signing Calhanoglu. Midfielders Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard are in their last year of contracts with the club having the option to extend it for an additional year.
The Red Devils midfield has quickly become one of the hotly-contested areas in the team. In recent weeks, Fred and Scott McTominay have consistently put in great performances forcing manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to leave out the likes of Paul Pogba and Donny van de Beek.
The United manager has come under considerable criticism for not using Donny van de Beek in the Premier League. The Ajax man signed for Manchester United this summer for a fee of £35 million.
However, Dutch National team manager Frank de Boer isn't worried about the lack of game time for the 23-year-old. He believes Solskjaer has a plan to integrate the midfielder into his team.
I think Solskjaer has a plan with him, but it will take time to adapt. I remember when Neymar came to Barcelona from Santos and during the first few weeks he was on the bench. He was the superstar in Brazil at that moment.
People have to understand him [Van de Beek], his teammates and the coach. He’s a guy that doesn’t get nervous, but of course I understand the current situation. United have spent a lot of money on the boy and he’s on the bench sometimes playing five minutes. I think overall Donny is a very intelligent boy and he will fight until the end. I think Manchester United will have a lot of enjoyment with him.