Man Utd enquire about veteran pair as Amorim eyes wildcard signing

Tom Weber
Tom Weber
  • Updated: 1 Jul 2025 14:26 CDT
  • 5 min read
Ruben Amorim
© IMAGO

Manchester United are interested in veteran midfielders Hakan Calhanoglu and Fabian Ruiz, according to reports in Italy and France.

The Red Devils are in need of midfield reinforcements after releasing Christian Eriksen, and it seems that they are increasingly willing to deviate from their transfer policy of primarily signing young players.

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This is also illustrated by the fact that Man Utd have held talks with Aston Villa for striker Ollie Watkins, with Ruben Amorim increasingly eyeing players who can make an instant impact to avoid another disastrous campaign like 2024/25, by far the worst in the club's Premier League history.

Compared
Player image Hakan Çalhanoğlu
Hakan Çalhanoğlu

DM, M (C)

Inter logo

Inter

Hakan Çalhanoğlu
Hakan Çalhanoğlu

DM, M (C)

Inter

Inter

VS

Player image Fabián Ruiz
Fabián Ruiz

M (C)

PSG logo

PSG

Fabián Ruiz
Fabián Ruiz

M (C)

PSG

PSG

€38.2M

ETV

€32.4M

€34.4M - €42M ETV Range €29.1M - €35.6M
31 years old (08 Feb, 1994) Age 29 years old (03 Apr, 1996)
Turkey Turkey
Nationality
Spain Spain

To that end, Man Utd are starting to show an interest in Hakan Calhanoglu of Inter and Fabian Ruiz of PSG, who are aged 31 and 29, respectively. According to Foot Mercato, Ruiz is fielding interest from a host of clubs, including Al-Nassr.

However, PSG want to keep the Spain international, so it may require a sizeable fee to prise him away from Paris, which is something Man Utd are unlikely to be able to afford unless they make some high-profile sales. Ruiz still has two years to run on his contract.

Calhanoglu facing explosive Inter exit

Calhanoglu, meanwhile, finds himself in the eye of the storm at Inter due to his apparent desire to leave the club. This has been a common theme throughout his career, with the Turkey international previously sparking controversy when he left Hamburg and AC Milan.

Calhanoglu has been in talks with Galatasaray and was not present for Inter's embarrassing Club World Cup defeat to Fluminense, after which teammate Lautaro Martinez thundered: "Anyone who wants to stay with us should stay, anyone who doesn't want to stay should go."

Hakan Calhanoglu
© IMAGO - Hakan Calhanoglu

This message was amplified by club chief Giuseppe Marotta, who revealed that Lautaro was specifically addressing Calhanoglu. "I reckon he meant him [Calhanoglu]," the 68-year-old said. "Lautaro's demands are shared by the club; it's the winning spirit that can take us forward."

This prompted a response from the midfielder, who wrote on Instagram: "I respect every opinion, even that of a comrade, even that of the president. But respect cannot be a one-way street.

"I have always shown it, on and off the field. And I believe that in football, as in life, true strength lies in knowing how to respect one another, especially in the most delicate moments."

According to journalist Orazio Accomando, Man Utd have enquired about Calhanoglu as his move to Istanbul is stalling. Inter are said to be demanding a whopping €40 million for him, with Galatasaray only willing to pay around €15m. At that price, a move to Man Utd seems impossible.

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