AC Milan could reportedly see Hakan Calhanoglu leave this summer while Rodrigo De Paul is being eyed as a top transfer target to fill the void.
The Rossoneri have more important matters to consider this week, as we prepare for our crunch showdown with Atalanta on Sunday with the battle for Champions League qualification set to reach its climax.
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A win would make a top-four finish a certainty, while anything else and we would have to rely on results elsewhere to help us book our spot at Europe’s top table next season.
However, despite what’s at stake this weekend, there is still speculation ahead of the transfer window, and much is being said of Calhanoglu’s future at Milan.
Calhanoglu receives lucrative Qatar offer
According to the paper edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport, as noted by MilanNews, the Turkish playmaker has received a lucrative offer from Al Duhail in Qatar, as it’s suggested that they’re willing to offer him a three-year contract worth €32m in total.
It’s added that Milan aren’t willing to move from their current offer of €4m-a-year, and so time will tell if the two parties can reach a compromise and extend Calhanoglu’s future at San Siro, or if he will consider other options and perhaps even accept a big-money move to Qatar this summer.
With his current Milan contract set to expire at the end of the season, a decision over his long-term future will no doubt be announced shortly after the Serie A campaign concludes on Sunday.
Milan set sights on De Paul
Meanwhile, the same report adds that Milan are considering possible replacements for the creative playmaker role in the final third, and Udinese’s De Paul has emerged as our top option.
The 26-year-old has bagged nine goals and provided 11 assists in 37 appearances for the Zebrette so far this season, and having also enjoyed a breakthrough at international level with Argentina, he certainly possesses real quality that understandably makes him a target for us.
However, it’s noted that Udinese value him at over €40m, and so Jens Petter Hauge has been touted as a possible option to move in the opposite direction in a player-exchange deal to bring that price down.
Time will tell how the situation plays out, firstly with Calhanoglu, but Milan are seemingly making plans for the upcoming transfer window to try and strengthen the squad with or without Champions League football next season.