Man United transfer news: Calhanoglu delaying renewed deal with Milan

Stefan Bienkowski

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Milan sporting director Paolo Maldini is hopeful that Manchester United transfer target Hakan Calhanoglu will sign a contract extension with the Serie A club. 

The Turkish midfielder has been in impressive form for the Italian giants this season, scoring six goals and providing a further 11 assists in just 25 games in all competitions. 

However, the 27-year-old’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, which means Calhanoglu can already discuss contract offers from other clubs. 

A number of clubs have reportedly shown an interest in the former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker, including Man United. 

However, Maldini is hopeful that Calhanoglu’s delay in accepting a renewed contract offer from the club is little more than “normal practice” in the modern game. 

“It’s normal practice to wait in these cases and we are working on their renewals,” he said in regards to Calhanoglu and Gianluigi Donnarumma’s expiring contracts.

“The players are 100% professionals and they only think about the pitch, we hope to find an agreement soon.”

Calhanoglu’s future at Milan has been up for debate since he joined the Italian side from Leverkusen in 2017 for a fee reported to be £21 million. 

At the base of Milan’s midfield, the player has established himself as a set-piece specialist and a deep-lying playmaker. Which are talents that a number of bigger clubs greatly admire. 

When asked about the possibility of one of his key players leaving in the summer, head coach Stefano Pioli remained confident that Calhanoglu would extend his stay in northern Italy. 

“Calha is fantastic, he is intelligent, he can move well, he knows how to attack and he knows how to connect the game. He sacrifices himself,” said the Italian head coach.

“I want him at this level, he is a top player. I don’t think there are problems. Calha is with us and with the club. I’m sure that his will is to stay, there is a negotiation.

“The club, technical area, the player and I want the same thing, he has reached important levels and can still grow. He’s a player to bet on.”