Newcastle United make enquiry for Champions League finalist as Paul Mitchell’s policy goes out the window

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Newcastle United want to make improvements to their squad this summer.

Paul Mitchell has the task of convincing stars to move from their clubs to Tyneside. As it stands, it could be a hard sell.

Newcastle United are currently seventh in the Premier League table following three defeats in their last four games. Newcastle’s loss to Manchester City was a sign that if they want to qualify for Champions League they must perform to a much higher standard against their league rivals.

The Magpies have a chance to redeem themselves on Sunday when they take on Nottingham Forest at St James’ Park. Toon boss Eddie Howe will welcome former players Elliot Anderson and Chris Wood back to their former stomping ground.

Newcastle’s game against Nottingham Forest could see Howe’s side move back into fourth in the Premier League depending on other results. There is no doubt that European football would make Newcastle a much more attractive club to join in the summer – beating Nottingham Forest would move them closer to achieving that.

With a busy transfer window on the horizon, a new report has claimed that Newcastle have made enquiries for a Serie A star who featured in a recent Champions League final.

Newcastle enquire about Inter Milan’s Hakan Calhanoglu

Inter Milan star Hakan Calhanoglu has made a name for himself in Italy over the last few years.

The Turkish international has scored six goals in 25 appearances across all competitions this season but showed his true abilities during a fantastic 2023/24 campaign where he was named in Serie A’s team of the season and picked up the league’s best midfielder award after registering an impressive 16 goal involvements.

Now 31, Calhanoglu plays as a deeper midfielder for Simone Inzaghi’s Inter having originally played in a more attacking role earlier in his career.

Newcastle wanted Calhanoglu in 2023 after holding a long-term interest which dates back to when Steve Bruce was in charge of the Magpies in 2020.

According to TeamTalk, Newcastle are one of two Premier League clubs who are eyeing a move for Calhanoglu in the summer. The report does not name the other English side but states that clubs in Saudi Arabia and Bayern Munich are also interested in the set-piece specialist.

Calhanoglu was part of the Inter side who lost in the Champions League final to Man City in 2023. However, he can boast an impressive trophy cabinet having won six different competitions with Inter to go with his many personal accolades.

His contract with Inter still has another two years left on it, so the Italian giants are not desperate to let him leave. The report claims that Calhanoglu would consider a move to another club in Europe in the summer.

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Hakan Calhanoglu goes against Paul Mitchell’s Newcastle transfer plan

At his age, there are worries about how quickly Calhanoglu could get up to speed with a new league. Despite that, there’s no doubt that he would be a great player to have within the squad to cover for the likes of Sandro Tonali or Bruno Guimaraes should they ever be unavailable.

Newcastle are set to be in a position where they can spend more freely in the summer but they must spend wisely. Since Mitchell arrived on Tyneside, there has been a big mentality shift regarding how the club recruits.

Mitchell wants young players to join Newcastle from clubs across Europe. With Calhanoglu being 31, he completely misses the requirements.

There are also doubts over how long he would stay at the club due to his age. His deal would most likely last a maximum of three years and he would be in the twilight of his career towards the end of it.