After a rush of departures on Deadline Eve, it looks as though Manchester United might have had a masterplan all along.
Following the loss of Adnan Januzaj, Javier Hernandez and Anders Lindegaard, as well as pending moves for David De Gea and James Wilson, the club seem set to dip into their deep pockets for a new name.
Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu has been linked with a €36m (£26.4m) move to Old Trafford, with Turkish news site Koprubasi claiming a deal has been agreed.
It could explain United’s willingness to let Hernandez move to the German club on a permanent deal.
Javier Hernandez has completed a permanent move to Bayer Leverkusen. We wish him all the best for the future. #mufc pic.twitter.com/uGUMobMLzW
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 31, 2015
Calhanoglu, who joined Leverkusen from Hamburg in 2014, has scored 20 goals in the last two Bundesliga seasons from his customary attacking midfield role.
A handful have come from open play, but the German-born player is best known for his punishing free-kicks.
Here’s Exhibit A.
Exhibit B.
And finally the coup de grace…
