Tuesday 22 July 2014 15:35, UK
Bayer Leverkusen are confident that Hakan Calhanoglu will be a central figure at the club for many years.
Calhanoglu had been linked with a move to the Premier League earlier in the year after emerging as one of the most exciting young players in the Bundesliga.
Leverkusen won the race for his signature and tied the midfielder to a five-year contract, but speculation has since suggested that he may not stay at the club that long and could move on again quickly.
However, chief executive Michael Schade insists the Turkey international is relishing the challenge of playing for Leverkusen and will be a key part of their long-term plans.
“I am sure Hakan Calhanoglu will be at this club for five years,” Schade told Bild.
“Hamburger SV is the past of Hakan Calhanoglu, Bayer Leverkusen will be the future of Hakan Calhanoglu.
“In all the talks we had with Hakan Calhanoglu, he always said how much he is looking forward to Bayer Leverkusen and the club's squad.
“And you can witness this kind of joy in his daily training. We had the ambition to strengthen our squad with Hakan Calhanoglu and we feel we will have more strength with him in our team.”
