Newcastle United are reportedly interested in making a swoop for Inter Milan playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu, who has been instrumental in his club's ascension to the Champions League final this season.
What's the latest on Hakan Calhanoglu to Newcastle?
Inter need to balance the books this summer and consequently will seek to offload several first-team stars despite the success on the pitch in Europe.
According to CalcioMercato, the Toon are ready to present a bid of €40m (£35m) for the Turkey international, who is out of contract in one year's time.
As per the report, the 29-year-old would likely only join the Tyneside ranks if Eddie Howe succeeds in the bid to secure Champions League football next season, currently third in the Premier League table with three matches to play, one point above fifth-placed Liverpool.
Should Newcastle sign Hakan Calhanoglu?
While Newcastle have been formidable this season, gracing pitches across Europe next term warrants the arrival of quality players to bolster the hopes of achieving their goals both domestically and on the continental stage.
The Turk joined Inter in controversial circumstances in 2021, departing from acrimonious city rivals AC Milan on a free transfer and scoring eight goals and 13 assists across all competitions, winning the Coppa Italia.
This season, he has scored four goals and supplied eight assists from 45 appearances across all competitions, a key component to his side's surging season in Europe, reaching the Champions League final and awaiting the imperious Manchester City.
As per Sofascore, the 76-cap Turkey captain has recorded an average match rating of 7.16 in the Champions League, scoring a goal and two assists, averaging 1.5 key passes per match, completing 91% of his total passes and making 1.3 tackles per outing.
A "magic" competitor with the ball, as described by journalist Deji Faremi, Calhanoglu ranks among the top 2% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for rate of assists and the top 3% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref, and he could usher in a newfound sense of creativity for the Newcastle midfield, having created more goals than any Magpie midfielder this term.
He could even be Howe's own version of Christian Eriksen, with the £157k-per-week ace ostensibly replacing the Dane at San Siro after his Serie A career ended following a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020. Coincidentally, the experienced creator is the fourth most similar player in Europe to Newcastle's transfer target, as per FBref.
Eriksen has reignited his career in England and plies his trade for Manchester United after a resurgence with Thomas Frank's Brentford last year.
Having scored two goals and supplied an impressive nine assists from 40 appearances for the Red Devils this term, Eriksen has been heralded as a "genius" by the likes of Statman Dave and ranks among the top 1% of midfielders for rate of assists per 90.
Considering the unrelenting growth of this resounding St. James's Park team, enhancing the midfield with a player of Calhanoglu's ilk could be the optimum way to ensure the Toon fire across all cylinders once again next campaign.