Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu: ‘I am not far from De Bruyne or Modric’ | OneFootball

Inter Milan’s Hakan Calhanoglu believes he is one of the best midfielders in football alongside Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modric.

The former AC Milan star joined Inter as a free agent in 2021. He did not need time to adapt to his new surroundings and has impressed with his performances.

Calhanoglu has taken on a new role in recent weeks. He has been playing deeper in midfield and orchestrating things with his creative passing game.

Croatian maestro Marcelo Brozovic’s absence gave Inter manager Simone Inzaghi a headache, but he has found a suitable solution.

Calhanoglu is a brilliant playmaker who also works hard defensively. The Turkish international claimed that people underrate him among his peers in Europe.

He told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “In my role, I see myself among the five best in Europe. I say this with humility but awareness.

When the interviewer made comparisons, he said, “Yes, I feel like it. I’m not far from De Bruyne or Modric. Maybe in this period, those who play in the Premier League have more visibility.”

Calhanoglu has three goals and five assists in 29 appearances for Inter this season. He netted eight goals and assisted 13 more last term.

He has helped Inter progress to the last-16 in the Champions League. They secured a 1-0 win over FC Porto in the first leg and head to Portugal with that advantage on March 14.

Inter are second in Serie A, level on points with AC Milan. However, they are 18 points adrift of table-toppers Napoli, who are looking for their first Scudetto in over 30 years.

Despite winning the Italian Super Cup, Inzaghi has come under fire for their inconsistency in Serie A. They have reached the final of the Coppa Italia, where they will face Juventus.

CEO Giuseppe Marotta backed Inzaghi but said that the league is the priority, not the cups.