Atletico Madrid have reportedly tabled a €20 million bid to land Bayer Leverkusen superstar Hakan Calhanoglu, who is also on the radar of Chelsea as well.
As per a report from TransferMarketWeb, Atletico Madrid are the first club to move towards landing Bayer Leverkusen superstar Hakan Calhanoglu. Los Rojiblancos have submitted a €20 million cash bid for the player, who is also being tailed by the current Premier League leaders, Chelsea.
Hakan Calhanoglu is hailed as a dead-ball maestro but he is far from being just that. The Turkish midfielder is a true playmaker and has goals in his tank as well, with 7 goals and 7 assists to show for his efforts in 22 appearances in all competitions this season.
For long, the Turk has been targeted by the Elite of European football. However, his career has hit a snag this season, with the player suspended from playing till the summer – June 1, 2017 precisely. His absence from the squad has seen Kai Havertz come to the fore, who has truly captured the imagination of the club and the league, in general.
Hakan Calhanoglu, though, did mention the prospect of leaving Bayer Leverkusen while talking about his footballing ban. And despite the player being contracted to the club till 2019, he made no secret of his desire to move to a club of the stature of Chelsea, who were linked heavily with the player.
As per the report, Chelsea are still in the running to land the player for next campaign. However, it is Atletico Madrid who have moved first in order to secure the player’s signature. Los Rojiblancos have tabled a €20 million bid, comprising of all upfront cash payment, to Bayer Leverkusen.
Diego Simeone is in search of addition to his Atletico Madrid squad and the arrival of a dead-ball expert like Calhanoglu will equip the club with another weapon in their arsenal.
The club have been dependent on Griezmann for goals this season and the manager would be eager to rectify this over-dependence, especially with the player continuously linked with a move away from the club.
Chelsea, too, need a player of Calhanoglu’s caliber, with the club set to compete in Europe next season and the lack of depth in the midfield at Stamford Bridge at the moment. But, the Blues will have to move fast in order to ensure they are not left behind by Atletico Madrid in the race to sign the 23-year-old.
