Hakan Calhanoglu: For Milan, It’s Good Riddance
ROME, ITALY - APRIL 26: Hakan Calhanoglu of AC Milan during the Italian Serie A match between Lazio v AC Milan at the Stadio Olimpico Rome on April 26, 2021 in Rome Italy (Photo by Ciro de Luca/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Written by Samson Oyeneye
Surprise, relief, anger, joy and somewhat dismay greeted the Rossoneri fans few days ago when multiple reports first reported that their Turkish number 10 had accepted an offer of €5 million salary + €1 million in bonuses from cross city rivals, Inter Milan. Four years with the Diavolo, a long and complicated renewal ends in the most spiteful way.
129 games, 23 goals, 36 assists in 4 seasons for a player bought by Milan for 24 million Euros, this represent a loss of capital gain as a transfer fee for the player would have done Milan’s ailing books some good.
So why was Milan happy to let him go? Many will argue that the Maldini led technical area is setting a precedence of wages justifying performance and aligning with the club’s finances, some would also point to his erratic level of inconsistencies. So which was it?
Even though he was instrumental in Milan’s recent return to the Champions League after a 7-year absence, he has been largely inconsistent in his four-year journey with the Red & Black, enjoying burst of form and subsequent slump into mediocrity when out of form; a point that is clearly highlighted by the abysmal outing he had with the Turkish team at the ongoing UEFA European Championship which has seen his team finish rock bottom of their group despite being labeled “Dark horses”.
Famous for his dead ball specialty in the Bundesliga, the Turk had a woeful record with free-kicks and set pieces, wasting dead balls from good positions repeatedly. When in form, he is almost unplayable as can be seen in his post Covid-19 form; hitting 6 goals and 8 assists in the last 12 games to earn Milan a spot in last season Europa league playoff spot. Out of form however, he often failed at the most basic tasks as a playmaker, sloppy in possession and lacking vision to break down the opponent.
Getting €4.6 million gross off the books for an inconsistent playmaker is also a plus for Milan considering it would have taken 30m euros gross to keep him over the next 3 seasons. At 27, life with the Nerazzurri presents a new opportunity to etch a name in the minds of Inter fans with consistent performances, playing in a “champions” environment unburdens the weight of expectation and allows him to correct deficiencies under the radar. While he is not expected to be a starter for Inter Milan, he could well be a decisive figure in the coming season and with a better financial package.
At the end of the day Milan have said goodbye to a player who has not done badly but never lived up to the lofty expectations he arrived with. Now there is an opportunity for someone else to take up the playmaking role. A protracted renewal considering his conduct could have made staying impossible, however, the judgement on Milan’s decision should be reserved until his replacement is unveiled. For now though, Milanisti should lose no sleep.
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