Manchester United and Arsenal have suffered a blow in the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s star playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu according to the Express.
The report states that Calhanoglu wants to remain at Leverkusen and is focused on improving his performances.
“If we were to go separate ways then I would definitely be sad,” Calhanoglu told the Express.
“Of course things change quickly in football, but one thing is certain for me: I want to stay with Bayer. I really don’t want to leave — I want to make it here.
“There are three reasons for this: I feel happy with the club and the surroundings, and I still have a contract until 2019. I get on really well with my teammates, and we have a really good squad with great quality and I want to achieve something with them.
“I’ve had good talks with [coach] Roger Schmidt and the outcome is that I’m going to rise to the challenge.”
Meanwhile TalkSport also state that both Arsenal and United are interested in signing 22-year-old. The report goes onto say that Leverkusen want to cash in on Calhanoglu following three impressive seasons in the Bundesliga.
The Turkey international made the move to Leverkusen from from Hamburg for €14.5m in 2014. Calhanoglu is well known for his free-kick and has gone on to score 11 direct set-piece goals in the Bundesliga alone.
The 22-year-old became the first ever Turkish international player to score against England in an international friendly in May.