Renewal or goodbye? Surely in the Turkish summer there is the coveted trip overseas and if a call were to arrive from Istanbul…
Title: “A week at Calha”. How it unfolded: first the exploits in the red Türkiye shirt which earned them qualification for the World Cup, then the first goal from open play of 2026 with Inter which was eye-opening. Magic and a dream come true. For the other, the tricolor one, he is still at work but with the goal against Roma he reiterated that his Inter can count on him, and how. Satisfied after having booked a ticket to the Americas with Montella? Nope. Hakan Calhanoglu wallows in big moments and aims to make them last as long as possible.
the Oscar
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Head and experience have never been lacking: “In football there are ups and downs, we made a few mistakes in a few games but after the break we all came back, we talked and we are always together for better or for worse. Being a good group makes the difference”, he said after the 5-2 win against Roma which became the new Inter manifesto of the final sprint. Milan and Naples could not have been warned more clearly. For Cristian Chivu, no surprises. The Turk is a central element of his team and his game. And when he’s there… “Click, turn around.” Hakan, with double figures in goals (9 in the league and one in the Champions League), is aiming for the Oscar for best director this season with a film made of great action, a pinch of suspense and special effects. After Lautaro he is the player who scores the most at Inter but there are also (many) other reasons why Chivu couldn’t wait to get back to full strength. “When you’re injured for a month you want to come back. Physically and mentally you go down – admitted the Turk – and you always try to get back as soon as possible. Always staying on top of things isn’t easy but if I have my rhythm… Now I feel good and I want to continue like this until the end. It was also good for me to play the two matches for the national team. If I’m well and feel free, goals like this can also come. I scored nine and that’s no small feat for a director.” No, not at all. Then he removed a pebble from his shoe: “They tell me that I only score from a penalty but that’s not the case, when I have space I want to score in other ways too.”
the market
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Fans are now wondering how much longer Calha will continue to score and direct Chivu’s midfield operations. His contract expires in 2027 and after the Turkish offensives last summer and January the call to his homeland is clear. He is the third highest paid of the entire Inter squad, behind Lautaro and Barella, and Galatasaray is not scared by the potential investment in the 32-year-old who is an undisputed celebrity and idol in Türkiye. The renewal issue with Inter, not a simple one, is currently on stand-by: as with any other transfer discussion, at this point in the season, everything is postponed to the expected and desired Scudetto. From Istanbul they are waiting patiently, they know that the player wouldn’t mind returning home at all and they also know that Inter have no intention of losing him to zero. Without renewal, this is the last useful summer to monetize the exit of the midfielder who arrived from Milan as a free agent. Summer thoughts, first there is a championship to win: Calha’s Oscar also passes through here.
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