According to reports from Gazzetta dello Sport, despite attempts by Turkish clubs Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray to sign Calhanoglu in the past two seasons, Internazionale has consistently refused to let him go, and the club now aims to renew his contract.
The report states that Internazionale’s senior management is closely monitoring Calhanoglu's situation . On the first hot Sunday in June, a club presidential election far away in Istanbul captured the attention of everyone at the Nerazzurri, with vote counts and results continuously circulating in chat groups within Fenerbahçe and Internazionale.
Ultimately, Hakan Safi, a wealthy businessman in the port industry, lost his bid for the Fenerbahçe presidency, which removed a major potential concern for Internazionale. Safi had been very high-profile during his campaign, lacking diplomatic skill, and had boasted plans to spend tens of millions of Euros on transfers, targeting players like Greenwood, Martinez, and Demiral. He even publicly claimed to have reached an agreement with Turkish national team captain Calhanoglu regarding a move.
Calhanoglu's team showed a softening stance on this, and his agent frequently made public statements, fueling the transfer rumors. The root of all this stems from Calhanoglu's long-held wish: he has always yearned to return to his homeland as a hero one day, a desire that grew stronger after Turkey qualified for the World Cup again after 24 years.
Even with only one year left on Calhanoglu's contract, Internazionale had already made thorough preparations to firmly reject Safi's transfer requests and would not easily let him go. The defeat of this controversial candidate, who was very close to Calhanoglu, also saved the team a lot of trouble in the transfer market.
The successful candidate for the new president was Aziz Yıldırım, a veteran Fenerbahçe executive, whose transfer philosophy is completely different from Safi's; he never seriously considered signing the Internazionale midfielder. This result from Istanbul did not change the overall situation: regardless of Calhanoglu's own thoughts, Internazionale's management and coaching staff have consistently been determined to keep him, both in the past and now.
Personnel changes in Turkish football also cannot sway the club's stance. In the future, representatives from Turkish teams will continue to approach him, and Turkish offers will not disappear. However, what is certain is that Calhanoglu will remain at Internazionale. The club will also evaluate the possibility of contract renewal to prevent him from leaving on a free transfer when his contract expires in June 2027.
This is not the first time such transfer rumors have surfaced; this tug-of-war has been going on for a full year. Last year, Galatasaray extended an offer to Calhanoglu, with the Turkish giants willing to do anything to sign him, even claiming to have reached an agreement with Calhanoglu, who was deeply disappointed by the season's outcome at the time.
Now, another strong Turkish club is pursuing him, and the sudden presidential election has made the whole situation full of variables. In the summer of 2025, Internazionale did not receive any attractive offers, and the club was not optimistic about Safi's transfer plans either.
Before the vote counting was even finished, Internazionale's sporting director Piero Ausilio responded to the matter with a hint of sarcasm: "I hope these rumors about Calhanoglu bring us good luck like last year. Every time there are transfer rumors from Turkey, we win the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia. Maybe we should also participate in the Beşiktaş presidential election, since they have elections every year. Besides, Turkish football now almost collects players, sporting directors, and coaches from all over the world. But the reality is, Calhanoglu has a contract, Internazionale is determined to keep him, so the statements from this presidential candidate will not have any actual consequences."
Calhanoglu has now arrived in Arizona, which is the Turkish national team's base camp for this World Cup. Due to participating in multiple competitions with Internazionale last season, Calhanoglu's physical condition has not yet fully adjusted. He now only wants to focus on this long-awaited tournament.
Recently, he has had very little communication with the Internazionale club, which has further amplified the various rumors from Istanbul. In the coming period, there will still be continuous discussion about this player in Turkey, but the focus will temporarily shift to the World Cup, and transfer-related disputes will also temporarily subside.