Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu has been a key figure for Simone Inzaghi since his arrival at the club, and the stats certainly back up this claim.
The 29-year-old made the crosstown switch in 2021, joining the Nerazzurri after seeing out his contract with AC Milan.
Since then, the Turkish international established himself as a pillar at the club. Although he’s yet to win a Scudetto title, he has thus far won four trophies with the Beneamata.
Last season, Inzaghi gradually transformed Calhanoglu into a deep-lying midfielder during Marcelo Brozovic’s absence.
In the summer, the Croatian veteran made the switch to Al-Nassr. Thus, Hakan has now become the undisputed first choice in the Regista role.
The former Bayer Leverkusen man suffered a slight knock earlier this week, resulting in his absence from last night’s Champions League encounter against Real Sociedad.
In what Italian media considered as one of the worst Inter displays under Inzaghi, the Nerazzurri managed to escape with a 1-1 draw thanks to a later equalizer from Lautaro Martinez.
Inter Milan’s Winning Percentage Plummets In The Absence Of Hakan Calhanoglu
Nevertheless, Calhanoglu was sorely missed, with his direct replacement Kristjan Asllani failing to impress. Last night’s action once again demonstrated the Turk’s vast importance to the side.
Moreover, an interesting stat from Opta Paolo depicts the midfielder’s significance to the club.
As the Twitter account reveals, Inter won 68% of their matches since Hakan’s arrival with him on the pitch (36/53).
On the other hand, the winning percentage plummets to 33% in the player’s absence (3/9).
The Turkiye star is currently working on regaining his optimal physical shape ahead Sunday’s encounter against Empoli.
The club’s medical staff will be closely monitoring his condition before making a decision on his availability.
