Barcelona have established contact with outgoing AC Milan playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu, particularly in light of Georginio Wijnaldum’s sudden change of heart. As reported by Barca Universal, cash-strapped Catalan heavyweights are trying to convince the Turkey international to join the club when his contract expires at the end of the month.
Calhanoglu’s adventure at the San Siro is seemingly drawing to a close after the parties failed to find an agreement. Juventus and several Premier League sides have already registered their interest in the highly-rated attacking midfielder, but Barca’s involvement changes the complexity of the race for the 27-year-old’s signature.
Until not long ago, the La Liga powerhouse seemed a step away from snapping up Gini Wijnaldum. The Dutchman is out of contract this summer and has already made it clear he will not extend his stay at Liverpool.
Ronald Koeman was hell-bent on making his compatriot his first summer signing, but the tide has turned in the recent period. As it appears, the 30-year-old has ditched Barca’s interest in favor of a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Mauricio Pochettino is in the market for an experienced midfielder to inject quality into his well-structured team. The Argentine has identified Wijnaldum as a perfect candidate to team up with Marco Verratti and Leandro Paredes.
As a consequence, Barcelona’s attention has shifted towards Calhanoglu, who has enjoyed a stellar season in Italy. The former Bayer Leverkusen metronome has tallied nine goals and 12 assists across all competitions in his arguably most prolific season since moving to Serie A in 2017.
The fact he won’t cost a dime perfectly fits Barca’s bill as newly-elected president Joan Laporta looks to rescue the club from a sizeable depth after replacing Josep Maria Bartomeu earlier this year.