Report: Calhanoglu to stay at Inter for another year | OneFootball

Hakan Calhanoglu’s future at Inter Milan has been resolved, at least for the immediate term, with the club deciding to retain the Turkish midfielder for the 2026/27 season despite failing to agree a contract extension beyond his current deal, which expires in 2027.

Read Football Italia Ad-Free and get access to Exclusive News & Content – Free Trial – Click Here

The outcome represents something of a compromise, as per FCInter1908.

Calhanoglu had hoped to extend his stay on terms equal to or better than his current €6.5 million per season salary, but Oaktree’s well-documented preference for younger profiles and strict restrictions on renewals for players over 30 made that impossible.

Rather than allowing the situation to drift into open conflict, both parties have settled on continuing as they are, with Calhanoglu seeing out his existing deal and the possibility of a longer-term arrangement remaining open should circumstances change, including the midfielder’s potential willingness to accept a reduced salary.

MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 21: Cristian Chivu, Head Coach of FC Internazionale Milano, celebrates with Hakan Calhanoglu after during the Coppa Italia Semi-Final match between FC Internazionale and Como at San Siro on April 21, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Chivu leads Inter push to keep Calhanoglu

Cristian Chivu has been central to the resolution. The Inter head coach considers Calhanoglu indispensable to his project and made his feelings clear to the club’s hierarchy, who acted accordingly.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Chivu also played a role in mediating the high-profile fallout between Calhanoglu and Lautaro Martinez during the summer, a detail that speaks to the trust the Romanian coach has built within the dressing room.

Despite some physical fragility this season, 13 matches missed through injury plus a couple of precautionary absences, Calhanoglu has still contributed 12 goals and seven assists, underscoring why letting him leave would have been a risk Inter were not prepared to take. The Galatasaray sirens, for now, will have to wait.