Hakan Calhanoglu will be playing for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season after signing a five-year contract with the
Hakan Calhanoglu will be playing for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season after signing a five-year contract with the

Leverkusen capture Calhanoglu

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Leverkusen - Hakan Calhanoglu has left Hamburger SV and joined UEFA Champions League qualifiers Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Taking the next step

The Turkish international has signed a five-year contract with the Werkself after shooting to fame at the heart of the HSV midfield last season.

Leverkusen's sporting director Rudi Völler was delighted to secure Calhanoglu's arrival, commenting: "Thanks to his playmaking qualities and goalscoring threat, Hakan will really strengthen our side. We've gained a player who can do the unexpected and is extremely creative. Hakan should and will give our team an important boost in quality."

Calhanoglu, meanwhile, was equally pleased to have sealed a move to a club with top-four ambitions, and by the opportunity to test his mettle on the European stage. “I had a great time in Hamburg, but in Leverkusen I can now take the next step forwards," said the 20-year-old. "Bayer have a great team and they've been in Europe regularly in recent years. To reach the Champions League group stages and compete at the top of the Bundesliga is a big challenge for me. I'm really looking forward to it and I'll give everything to help the team."

The former Karlsruher SC man scored 11 times in 32 appearances for the Red Shorts last season, including a stunning 40-yard free-kick against Borussia Dortmund, and provided four assists to help the Red Shorts maintain their record of never having been relegated from the Bundesliga.