Are 97.5% of Dream Team Euros bosses overlooking a fantastic value-for-money midfielder for Matchday 1?
IT’S officially squeaky bum time for Dream Team Euros managers.
With Germany and Scotland set to get this summer’s tournament underway on Friday night, gaffers should have all but settled on their initial XI.
With the Matchday 1 deadline (7pm Friday) rapidly approaching, it’s interesting that 97.5% of Dream Team bosses are overlooking Hakan Calhanoglu (£3m) at present.
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Dream TeamTurkey’s skipper features in just 2.5% of teams at the time of writing[/caption]
The 30-year-old was among the best players in Serie A this season as an instrumental figure in Inter’s midfield.
Calhanoglu scored 15 goals in all competitions, the best return of his career, as the Nerazzurri won their 20th league title.
Granted, the vast majority (13) of those goals came from the penalty spot but his influence in open play was widely heralded by dedicated observers of Italy’s top flight.
The Turkey captain’s set-piece expertise is not limited to spot-kicks either; his back catalogue features more direct free-kick goals than James Ward-Prowse.
He’ll take virtually every corner, free-kick and penalty in Germany this summer – he is clearly his country’s standout talisman and leader.
AlamyCalhanoglu helped Inter dominate Serie A in 2023/24[/caption]
Needless to say, set-piece specialists carry extra value in the world of Dream Team Euros, especially in the age of VAR when penalties are increasingly common.
What makes Calhanoglu a particularly tempting option for Matchday 1 is the fact Turkey will start their campaign against Georgia.
With all due respect to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (£3m) and company, they are very much underdogs in Group F alongside Turkey, Portugal and Czechia.
The combination of great domestic form, set-pieces, favourable fixture and a reasonable price makes Calhanoglu an appealing prospect for Matchday 1.
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However, it should be stressed that his goal threat from open play is limited as he generally operates in a deep-lying role these days.
In the same breath, multiple responsibilities give him several routes to points; big chances created, tackles, bonus points – it’s not merely a case of hoping for a penalty.
Turkey are set to face Portugal in Matchday 2 so Calhanoglu may be more of a short-term punt than a set-and-forget stalwart but he surely deserves to feature in more than 2.5% of teams for the first round of group games?
