What to Expect from Hakan Calhanoglu

After Hakan Calhanoglu became the first move from one side of the Milan divide to the other in ten years, we traced his footsteps back to the Rossoneri camp to see just what Inter’s getting in the Turkish midfielder. Martino Puccio, an expert in all-things Milan, was kind enough to share his insight on Calhanoglu with us. You can follow Martino on Twitter here. Be sure to also check out his work on The Athletic Fantasy, Milan Reports, and The State Of Play podcast.

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Q: What was your reaction to Inter picking up Calhanoglu in terms of impact on both Milan clubs? What sort of expectations should we have for his debut season?

A: It’s not that devastating for Milan due to the inconsistency of Hakan during his tenure at the club. As for Inter it’s a good replacement for Eriksen who will most likely not play for the club again. I think Hakan will have a slow start to his career with Inter but prove to be good in Inzaghi’s system being similar to Luis Alberto and providing good service up front.

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Q: What are Calhanoglu’s stronsuits? On the other hand, where are his weaknesses?

A: His strong suits are his passing abilities in open play and set pieces. He’s two footed and can read the game well at times. His weaknesses are awful consistency and he lacks a proper mental approach to meet his potential. He’s regressed with FK’s since arriving to Italy. He can make boneheaded decisions resulting in counter attacks as well.

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Q: How do you see Calhanoglu fitting into Simone Inzaghi’s 3-5-2 compared to Milan’s 4-2-3-1 shape? Will the new formation suit him or could he take time to adapt?

A: Like I mentioned he’ll be more like Luis Alberto and it will take time for him to adapt because the whole squad does as well and chemistry will need to build up over time. I think he’s better in a 4231 due to being a pure 10 in my opinion. But Inzaghi is a good enough manager to get a lot out of his players. He will be good with Inter but not quite worth his wages.

Thanks to Martino for stopping by!