Former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has been full of praise for reported transfer target Hakan Calhanoglu.
The Turkey midfielder sees his AC Milan contract expire this month and has been linked with a move to the Premier League.
Arsenal and Chelsea are thought to be interested in the midfielder ahead of a potential free transfer.
Having represented both clubs throughout his career, Fabregas has done nothing to hide his admiration of the 27-year-old.
Talking on the BBC ahead of the opening Euro 2020 clash between Turkey and Italy, the Spaniard said: “He’s very talented. What I like about him is he takes risks, he plays forward, he’s not scared to create things when people don’t see them.
“He follows the game, he understands it. In football nowadays, you need a little bit of that because it’s become a little bit robotic.
“He comes into half spaces, he’s not afraid to shoot, another thing in football I think we’re losing a little bit from outside the box. He’s got a fantastic delivery in him.”
Calhanoglu has continued to star on the European stage, first with Hamburg before displaying his abilities with German outfit Bayer Leverkusen.
That led to a move to Italian giants AC Milan, where the Turkey international has continued to be a force.
He heads into Euro 2020 having enjoyed another productive season at the San Siro with nine goals and nine assists in all competitions as Stefano Pioli’s men earned a place back in the UEFA Champions League.
Fabregas’ fellow pundit, Rio Ferdinand, agreed with his assessment of Calhanoglu for his creative abilities and predicted an impact from the Turk in his nation’s clash with Italy at the Stadio Olimpico on Friday evening.
He said: “He’s a player, though, that a coach can’t necessarily control in some ways. Coaches you see try to control every single situation in a game, but he goes against that.
“Nine goals and nine assists this season for AC Milan, he’s going to be a threat.”
