There is not much time left for the transfer window to get shut, hence, if the Lilly-Whites are to grab a couple of players, this is the perfect time to act. Right at this very moment, the club has been engaged in some serious transfer speculations, but that majorly involves the outgoings.
Now, according to the reports from Sky Sports, the Londoners have shown their desire to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s highly rated midfielder, Hakan Calhanoglu. To make the deal better, the player’s manager recently confirmed the rumour as he stated:
“It is true that Tottenham have registered their interest with me.”
The same source states that Leverkusen’s manager Roger Schmidt does not see Calhanoglu as a first-choice starter for the new Bundesliga season and the player would like to leave. In that case, Tottenham should really get their hands on the player, as he surely can add the depth into the team.
Who is Hakan Calhanoglu?
Born in Germany, Hakan started his footballing career with Karlsruher SC in the second division of the Bundesliga. After making 16 appearances for the side, the player signed a four-year deal with Hamburger SV in 2012 and was loaned back to Karlsruher. In the 2012-13 season, he scored 17 goals and bagged 14 assists in just 39 appearances.
In the 2013-14 season, he made his Bundesliga debut for Schalke and in his very first season with the club, he made 38 appearances, scoring 11 goals and further assisting five. After his brilliant form, he attracted the interest from some elite clubs, but eventually, he ended up joining their league rivals Bayer Leverkusen in July 2014.
He recently completed his second stint with the club and has 93 appearances to his name, and also, 21 goals and 20 assists to his credits.
Although he is born in Germany, the player has opted to play for Turkey. He has represented his country at every level; starting from U-16s to U-21. Till date, the 22-year-old has 20 senior caps to his name and has scored six goals for the country.
Style Of Play:
To understand what kind of football Calhanoglu is known to play; just observe the style of the German magician Mesut Ozil. Just like the Arsenal’s midfielder, the Turkish international is known to set the tempo of the game. His vision and his ability to read the game has always been praised by the experts, and this is what makes him a player that every club would like to have.
Further, to add to his collection, the 22-year-old has mastered the set piece abilities and only due to this, Calhanoglu has drawn the comparisons of Cristiano Ronaldo and the free-kick specialist, Juninho Pernambucano. In 2015, the former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves said in an interview that Çalhanoğlu’s style of play would fit Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur and it seems like Pochettino has taken this assumption too seriously.
Furthermore, the 22-year-old is also known for his maturity on the field and that allows him to remain cool and composed in tight situations. As stated earlier, he likes to dictate the rhythm of the game and could well benefit the Lilly-Whites to a great extent. He is not the kind of player, who is always looking for a solo run to beat the defender, but he is the kind of player, who could split the defence apart with a single pass.
Well, if he really joins the White Hart Lane outfit, them the Premier League spectators will be lucky to see two Mesut Ozil’s playing for the rival clubs. Well, no player can be extremely perfect and so is Calhanoglu. If he tends to compete for a place in the Premier League, he then needs to work on his physicality, and also, on his defensive contributions. Furthermore, his stamina isn’t the greatest as well and to fit into Pochettino’s plans, you got to have that primarily.
