West Ham are the only Premier League side yet to make a signing in the transfer window.
David Moyes, fresh from a Conference League triumph and preparing for a third consecutive year of European football, needs to act swiftly and add some much-needed quality to the squad.
A phenomenal way to kickstart this would be the acquisition of Hakan Calhanoglu.
Is Hakan Calhanoglu signing for West Ham?
According to Spazio Inter, West Ham are seriously targeting the Inter Milan technician this summer.
The Nerazzurri have endured a damaging summer – the club has already lost Andre Onana, Samir Handanovic, and Marcelo Brozovic, while Romelu Lukaku could be on his way to Juventus.
Therefore, Calhanoglu is thought to be at the centre of Simone Inzaghi’s project, and it would take an outlandish offer for consideration of his sale.
Nevertheless, the Hammers are looking to strengthen their midfield options after the talismanic Declan Rice departed for Arsenal.
The report details that an offer of around €50 (£43m) would force Inter into a decision.
How good is Hakan Calhanoglu?
Last season, the Turk, described as “exceptional” by Stefan Pioli, made 49 appearances across all competitions, including nine starts on Inter’s journey to the Champions League final.
During this period, he has been an integral cog within Inter’s efficient set up, averaging the second-highest rating (7.07) in Serie A.
The former AC Milan orchestrator is a player that excels in defensive and offensive areas. He averaged the third-most tackles last campaign (1.5) in the squad but was the midfielder with the best total.
Most impressively, the 78-cap international recorded the joint-most domestic assists (6) alongside Lautaro Martinez, Nicolo Barella, and Lukaku, but what separates him from the rest is his supreme creativity that wasn’t rewarded.
Calhanoglu registered 64 chance creations last year at a rate of 1.94 per 90, as Barella in second managed just 49, to emphasize how the 5 foot 10 sensation is the chief inventor within the side, whilst also protecting the backline.
Interestingly, as per OPTA’s player comparison tool, Calhanoglu’s style of play has been likened to Joshua Kimmich, with a similarity score of 76.5%.
This model reveals that these players rank within the highest 14% among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues who have played at least 1350 minutes for possession won, the best 18% for touches, and the top 4% for chances created.
The duality of both players to be able to operate in a deep-lying playmaker role, whilst also regularly retrieving possession has moulded them into formidable assets.
Throughout his career, Kimmich has always been known to be a defensive midfielder, renowned for his tough-tackling and technical ability. Meanwhile, Calhanoglu’s positional history has taken a far more unconventional pathway.
Between 2014-2017, the £183k-per-week man was at Bayer Leverkusen, playing 59 of his 115 games for the Germans as either an attacking midfielder or second striker. Since signing for Inter, he has appeared almost exclusively in the 'Kimmich role' as a central or defensive midfield, fielded in a more offensive role just twice.
But to his, and his manager’s credit, it has worked wonders. Calhanoglu’s seamless transition to a deeper role demonstrates his intelligence and adaptability. Moreover, his similar ranking to Kimmich indicates that he is one of Europe’s most accomplished within this framework.
Calhanoglu’s profile speaks for itself and a signing of this calibre would dramatically help arrest West Ham from their summer slumber.
