Newcastle ‘ready to present €40m’ for Champions League finalist in ‘big shot’ for Eddie Howe

Will Ford
Reported Newcastle targets Hakan Calhanoglu and Denzel Dumfries celebrate a goal

Newcastle are ‘ready to make a concrete attempt’ to sign Hakan Calhanoglu from Inter Milan this summer, according to reports.

Calhanoglu left AC Milan for bitter rivals Inter in the summer of 2021 on a free transfer in order to – in his own words – “win Serie A”.

That move rather came back to bite the Turkey international as it was AC Milan who claimed the Scudetto in 2021/22, but he got his own back this season as his Inter side dumped their rivals out of the Champions League in the semi-finals.

But the final against Manchester City in Istanbul could well be the last of his career with I Nerazzurri, with reports linking him with a move away this summer.

Calhanoglu is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract with Inter and with no news of an extension, Inter will be looking for a buyer for the midfielder to avoid losing him for nothing in the summer of 2024.

Calciomercato claim Newcastle are ready to offer Calhanoglu a move to the Premier League.

The Magpies are ‘ready to make a concrete attempt’ to land him to give manager Eddie Howe a ‘big shot’ at success in the Champions League next season.

Newcastle are currently third in the Premier League, one point above fifth-placed Liverpool, with a game in hand.

It’s claimed ‘the offer that Newcastle is ready to present to the Nerazzurri is around €35/40m’.

The report concludes: ‘Calhanoglu may be attracted by the idea of ​​trying a new experience, above all to land in the top English championship. Therefore, after only two years, it may already be time for the Turkish midfielder to say goodbye.’

After Inter beat AC Milan this week to book their place in the Champions League final, Calhanoglu was quick to congratulate his former team, insisting “the past is the past”.

“Congratulations to Milan, they too did a good job. It was a difficult game, we did a good job. I’m very happy,” he told Mediaset after the final whistle at San Siro.

He said: “Derbies are always tough, unfortunately even more so for me, but the past is the past. I get along with all my former team-mates, there is respect for [Paulo] Maldini and [Ricky] Massara. Ricky is my neighbour and we always see each other. The important thing is that there is respect.”

MEDIAWATCH: This means more clicks as Liverpool crowbarred into the Man City conversation

Newcastle United Hakan Calhanoglu