Hakan Calhanoglu could become a key player at Inter after his arrival from city rivals AC Milan, with the player ready to become an important midfielder in head coach Simone Inzaghi’s tactical system.
This according to today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, who report that the Turkish playmaker could play a similar role to that of Spanish midfielder Luis Alberto at Lazio.
Inzaghi and Calhanoglu are two highly significant arrivals at the Giuseppe Meazza this summer, and they could each look to mutually strengthen one another’s debut seasons should they have a good understanding with each other.
Calhanoglu arrives with the thought of being a replacement for Christian Eriksen with the Dane set to miss all or most of next season as he recovers from his health issues, but he could play a role more in line with another Serie A.
Luis Alberto has been a key player for Lazio the last few seasons, with the Spaniard having played in roles ranging from an attacking midfielder off of the striker to that of a deeper-lying playmaker in the last couple seasons under Inzaghi for the Biancocelesti.
Now that the Italian tactician has switched clubs to Inter, he will immediately want to find a player of similar qualities to the Spaniard if he is to implement his ideas from his former club.
The Corriere dello Sport sees this as a real possibility, praising the pre-season form of Calhanoglu.
“What is surprising about Hakan Calhanoglu,” they write, “however, is the speed with which he has found himself at ease in the other side of the city. No traumatic change of jersey, no time needed to settle down – in Inzaghi’s football, he seems to have been born and raised, and Crotone agreed in the friendly 6-0 loss on Wednesday at Pinetina. An assist and a goal for the Turk who had already opened the scoring against Pro Vercelli.”
The newspaper continues, “Marotta and Ausilio did a very good job in seizing the opportunity when they realized that Eriksen’s problem was serious. Inzaghi immediately said yes to the operation and picked up the phone to explain his technical-tactical project to Calhanoglu.”
“A Luis Alberto of the Nerazzurri (copyright of Simone, at his first press conference) has more football from outside than Eriksen, more ability and less shyness in trying the game,” they continued, making the comparison with Alberto, “With Barella and Brozovic, he will form a balanced midfield with remarkable intensity, a characteristic that has so far characterized training in Appiano Gentile.”
