Hakan Calhanoglu and Ademola Lookman, no Galatasaray: the reason

Inter soccer market: one was the big Nerazzurri target for the’summer, the’other a name on the way out for weeks and weeks. At the end of August, however, neither changed teams, with the prospect, however, of moving to the Turkish Super Lig. In the meantime, even that did not happen, and explaining the reasons why Hakan Calhanoglu and Ademola Lookman remained at Inter and Atalanta, respectively, was the Galatasaray coach, Okan Buruk.

Okan, whom Inter fans moreover remember for having worn the colors of the Beneamata as a footballer between 2001 and 2004, shed light on the two transactions in an interview for the Turks‘Now Spor’. Confirming, first and foremost, that the prospect of bringing Lookman to Galatasaray existed very much: “We were interested in bringing him to Istanbul. We were convinced we could make it by exploiting the same formula used a year ago with Osimhen. Atalanta, however, told us that under no circumstances would they let him leave on loan”.

A no that Atalanta had expressed in similar tones also to other interlocutors for Lookman, while more specific was Inter’s for Calhanoglu. “They explained that they were not willing to sell him, and that this would only happen in the face of a much higher offer than normal. Then they explained that they did not want to sell anyone and the dialogue stopped” explained the Galatasaray coach.

“With Calhanoglu I did not have a direct meeting, but the Galatasaray executives did– Okan added.

He is a very important player, had Inter left they would have had to pay 40-45 million for a replacement. I had him in the youth national team, I always talked to him and he always had my high esteem”.