مدير عام كرة القدم
- Calhanoglu says he wants to stay at Inter
- 31-year-old wants to bury the hatchet with Martinez
- Midfielder linked with Galatasaray and Fenerbahce
Calhanoglu has returned to Appiano Gentile with a clear message that he wants to stay at Inter and put recent drama behind him. After missing the Club World Cup due to injury, the Turkish midfielder resumed training and addressed the transfer rumours and the reported rift with Lautaro Martinez, revealing that he has spoken to the Inter captain and plans to hug it out once he returns to Italy from his vacation.
Inter’s Club World Cup campaign ended in disappointment with a round of 16 loss to Fluminense. In the post-match interview, Martinez, without naming anyone, suggested that players who don’t want to stay at the club should leave. While he did not directly call out Calhanoglu, the remarks were widely interpreted as being aimed at the midfielder amid persistent rumours linking him with Galatasaray. Inter president Giuseppe Marotta later confirmed that Lautaro’s comments were indeed directed at Calhanoglu.
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Hakan clarified his stance on transfer rumours and said he wants to win with Inter this season, commenting: “Every year there are transfer rumours, a little more so this time, but I didn’t say anything because I wanted our fans to see that I’m back: it’s not right to always make statements. Of course, I’m happy to be back; I’m an Inter player and I want to stay here.”
On his situation with Lautaro, Calihanoglu said. “We’ve talked. We’re professionals, there’s no problem. When the captain returns, I’ll just hug him. He’s on vacation now, and that’s right. We had our minds full. Today, we’re all more relaxed and looking ahead.”
The Turkish midfielder is back in Italy and will join Inter’s pre-season camp, which is slated to commence on July 26. Their first الدوري الإيطالي game of the new campaign is against Torino at San Siro on August 25.
