Arsenal and Manchester have suffered a set-back in their hunt to sign Hakan Calhanoglu from Bayer Leverkusen this summer.
According to the Express, Calhanoglu is committed to Leverkusen and is aware that he must perform better than he did last season.
“If we were to go separate ways then I would definitely be sad,” Calhanoglu told the Express newspaper.
“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.”
According to TalkSport, both Arsenal and Manchester United are interested in signing Calhanoglu this summer. The report states that Leverkusen want to cash in on the 22-year-old following three impressive seasons in the Bundesliga.
Calhanoglu made the move to Leverkusen from from HSV for €14.5m in 2014 and he 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.
