Galatasaray`s Coach Reveals Calhanoglu`s Willingness to Sacrifice Salary, but Inter`s €40-45M Demand Proved Too High.
The potential transfer of Hakan Calhanoglu to Galatasaray remained merely a dream for Turkish fans. The talented midfielder ultimately stayed with Inter, despite Galatasaray`s persistent efforts throughout the summer to bring him to Istanbul.
Calhanoglu and Galatasaray`s Pursuit
Okan Buruk, a former Inter player and now coach of Galatasaray, shed light on the club`s determined efforts to sign the Turkish midfielder. “We genuinely desired him,” Buruk stated. “He is a significant fan of Galatasaray. We even made another attempt just last week, but Inter was resolute in their decision not to sell. They indicated they would only consider a transfer if we presented an exceptionally high offer. We tried our best. Both Hakan and Gundogan were prepared to make salary sacrifices to facilitate the move. However, for Inter to release him, we would have needed to spend between €40-45 million. This made the operation extremely challenging for us. Despite Hakan`s willingness to make personal sacrifices, the deal ultimately collapsed because Inter refused to part with him.”
