AC Milan have been given encouragement in their pursuit of Hakan Calhanoglu after the Bayer Leverkusen star get his blessing to a proposed move, reports German newspaper WAZ, via Football Italia.
Calhanoglu hasn’t featured since February after being hit by a four-month ban by FIFA for breach of contract dating back to an agreement he had with Turkish side Trabzonspor in 2013.
The 23-year-old was enjoying a sublime season for Leverkusen up until he was banned for the rest of the campaign and he may have played his last game for the Bundesliga outfit after meeting with officials of Milan.
Vincenzo Montella’s side aren’t interested in reigning in their summer spending spree having already shelled out in excess of £60m on four players and are now hopeful of completing a €25m (£22m) deal for the Turkey international, who has two years remaining on his current contract.
Calhanoglu’s agent, Bektas Demirtas, has even confirmed there has been contact from the Rossoneri but was coy on how advanced any deal was with his client.
“There’s been contact,” he told Reviersport.de, via Football Italia. “Still, I don’t want to comment on this. I’ll just say that Milan are a top European club.”
The Leverkusen No.10 was on course to enjoy his best ever season for the Bundesliga club prior to being banned after playing a direct hand in 11 goals in 15 league appearances (six goals, five assists).
He was still the club’s highest rated player in the league at the end of last season (7.49). Furthermore, in the last four Bundesliga campaigns, Calhanoglu has scored at least five more free kicks than any other player (11).
For more stats on Hakan Calhanoglu, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
