The 29-year-old spent four years at AC Milan before moving to Inter Milan on a free transfer in 2021, becoming a key player in Simone Inzaghi’s starting lineup. Despite receiving a lucrative offer from Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, where he could have tripled his salary with an 18 million euros per season contract for four years, Calhanoglu chose to stay with Inter Milan.
The decision was driven by his desire to establish himself as one of the top midfielders in Europe, alongside notable players like Neymar and Sergei Milinkovic-Savic.
The rejection of the offer has proven to be a successful decision for Calhanoglu, as his statistics now stand comparable to those of some of the most renowned deep-lying midfielders in Europe, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport via FcInterNews.
Hakan Calhanoglu Rejected Lucrative Al-Hilal Offer To Remain At Inter Milan
The Inter Regista is excelling in goal-scoring, matching the achievements of Real Madrid legend Luka Modric and Barcelona star Ilkay Gundogan. Additionally, when it comes to successful passes, Calhanoglu boasts an impressive percentage of 92.3%, ranking him second only to Man City star Rodri, who stands at 93.1%.
Hakan is also leading the pack in terms of tackles won and duels conquered. Finally, in the possession retrieval department, he has secured the ball 98 times this season, putting him just slightly behind Rodri (101) and Gundogan (100). This outstanding performance reaffirms Calhanoglu’s prowess on the field and places him in the company of some of the top players in European football.
