Statement on Hakan Çalhanoğlu from Inter Sporting Director Ausilio

Inter Sporting Director Piero Ausilio made a clear statement to the Italian press in the last hours about Hakan Çalhanoğlu's situation. In his words conveyed by Goal Italy, Ausilio used the following expressions: "He has never said that he wants to leave Inter, at least he has not said it to me or to Marotta. It is normal for some teams to be interested in our players, but Inter has no intention of parting with Çalhanoğlu." This stance of Inter stands out as an important obstacle in front of the transfer expectations of the yellow-and-navy community; because the player's contract continues until June 30, 2027, and the Italian team has clearly demonstrated that they will not release the player without an agreement on a transfer fee.

The backstage of the statements took place on a day in Turkey. On Sunday, when Fenerbahçe went to the ballot box for the Extraordinary Election General Assembly, presidential candidate Hakan Safi announced in the early hours of the morning that he had reached a verbal agreement with Çalhanoğlu. Italian transfer authority Fabrizio Romano also confirmed Turkish journalist Yağız Sabuncuoğlu's news and announced that a verbal agreement on a 3+1 year contract was reached between the Safi side and the player's agent. According to information shared by Diretta.it and other important organs of the Italian press, the realisation of the transfer depends on a single condition: Hakan Safi winning today's election. In the case of the candidate's opposite, it was stated that the agreement will not remain on the table. Çalhanoğlu's agent Gordon Stipic, in his statement, said "In the last few days I not only had extensive talks with Hakan Safi but also met him in person. We have been friends for a long time and our conversations were based on great trust. If Hakan Safi wins the elections this weekend, we have reached a basic agreement on my most important player."

Inter will determine the balance in the Italian leg of the process. According to the information conveyed by Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter management is demanding a transfer fee of between 30-35 million Euros for Çalhanoğlu; it was stated that the Fenerbahçe side will put a figure of around 20 million Euros on the table. The comments of Sky Sport and Di Marzio are also in the direction that Inter has no intention of selling the player; Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio shared the note on Saturday "The Fenerbahçe presidential candidate announced that he talked to Çalhanoğlu, but Inter is not aware of anything and is convinced that the player will stay at the club." While changes in the technical staff are expected at Inter this summer in place of former manager Cristian Chivu, it is said that the club's need for Çalhanoğlu continues for the next season. Ausilio's statements also overlap with this line: Inter sees the player as a main planning piece and is open to talking at the table only if a sufficient offer comes.

A quiet picture is on the Hakan Çalhanoğlu side. The 32-year-old national star dismissed the transfer questions directed at him after the preparation match in which Turkey beat Venezuela 2-1 on Saturday night by saying "Good evening"; this response of the player found wide place in the sports press in Turkey. The captain of the Turkey National Team had gone through a difficult period at Inter in the 2024-25 season — his dispute with team captain Lautaro Martinez had been reflected in the public after the PSG defeat in the Champions League final and elimination from the Club World Cup. However, Çalhanoğlu, who made a comeback at Inter in the 2025-26 season, had stepped out of the discussions by displaying a performance of 12 goals and 7 assists in 30 official matches. Hakan Safi's words "Another transfer is done, you know, right? We have announced the Hakan Çalhanoğlu transfer!" during his election campaign also moved both the Inter side and the Turkish press. The sharing of the song "Made in Romania" identified with Hakan Çalhanoğlu from the official social media account where the Safi side conducted its election campaign also created a big echo in the community. The player's current market value according to Transfermarkt is shown at the level of 16 million Euros.

The upcoming picture is shaping up under two headings: In the case of Hakan Safi emerging victorious from the election held in Kadıköy today, Fenerbahçe will submit an official offer to Inter and the Italian club's managers, led by Ausilio, will have to sit at the table; in the case of Aziz Yıldırım taking the election, the validity of the current verbal agreement will become uncertain. Ausilio's message today is also interpreted as a step taken to strengthen Inter's negotiating position: it is stated that they aim to raise the offer threshold by emphasising that they are not obliged to sell the player. The coming days of the Turkish community will be shaped by both the ballot box result emerging from Kadıköy and the official response coming from the Milan side.

Source:  Fabrizio Romano, Yağız Sabuncuoğlu 

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