Analysis: How cost-effective Calhanoglu will inspire AC Milan

Here's everything you need to know about AC Milan's sixth signing of the summer, Hakan Calhanoglu, from the financial details behind the move to a tactical breakdown of how he may be utilised on the pitch.

Related: AC Milan completes 6th summer coup as Calhanoglu joins from Leverkusen

The Lowdown

• Age: 23
• Position: Attacking midfielder
• Former club: Bayer Leverkusen
• Nationality: Turkish
• International caps: 26

Financial details

Bayer Leverkusen allegedly asked for €30 million after Milan registered interest in Calhanoglu, but the Rossoneri managed to negotiate an initial €20-million fee for the 23-year-old midfielder, according to Sky Sport Italia. Another €4 million could go Leverkusen's way if certain bonuses are achieved.

Considering reported figures for all of Milan's summer signings thus far - excluding any potential add-ons - club CEO Marco Fassone and sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli have invested €125 million in six new players. That's not to say Milan has paid that much up front - the moves for Franck Kessie and Fabio Borini are initial loan deals - but the club's new Chinese owners have left little room to doubt their ambition.

Where will he fit in?

Behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1

Headline writers will gush over his devastating free-kicks, but Calhanoglu is just as capable when the ball is in play. He is a modern take on the archetypal No. 10, a creative midfielder who started in all three midfield positions - and even for a brief time as a centre-forward - during his three years at Leverkusen.

Calhanoglu's flexibility is a boon for managers. Still, the Turkish international best expresses himself in the hole behind the striker, where he has a direct say in his team's attacking play.

As a drifter who enjoys a quick one-two with teammates and frequently tries his luck from distance, Calhanoglu has the instincts to push forward. Starting him in an advanced role would remove the burden of defending and encourage him to create chances.

Scoring 28 goals and 20 assists over the past four Bundesliga seasons, he has always looked at home in the final third of the pitch.

Manager Vincenzo Montella can also count on Calhanoglu's underrated hold-up play, mesmerising footwork, and impeccable ball retention in this role. He can navigate through tight quarters and come out the other side unscathed, and when he doesn't, Calhanoglu tends to earn fouls in compromising situations. The farther he is up the pitch, the more dangerous he can be.

With fellow summer arrival Andre Silva ahead of him, the former Hamburg metronome will have the good fortune of playing off of a mobile striker who can interchange positions, pull defenders away from the task at hand, and give space. The frontline would never stop moving.

On the left of a midfield three

If Montella feels compelled to stay true to the 4-3-3 formation that led to success last season, the right-footed Calhanoglu could find a home on the left side of the midfield three. This is where Barcelona's Andres Iniesta made a name for himself and developed into such an astute reader of the game. The Spaniard became an invaluable link between midfield and the attack, helping launch counter-attacks and, more importantly, getting the ball to Barcelona's talented wingers.

Calhanoglu is by no means at Iniesta's level just yet, but he has the tools to make as big of a difference for Milan.

In this position, Calhanoglu would make use of his distribution skills and likely get a lot more touches on the ball. A lot of the buildup would go through him, leaving the more athletic Kessie to make runs forward and the more reserved Riccardo Montolivo - or whomever replaces him - to cover his new teammate's tracks. Calhanoglu could also overlap with the like-minded Giacomo Bonaventura, who has spent time both in midfield and on the left wing.

The most impressive thing about Calhanoglu is his ability to slow down the pace of the game when necessary. He often settles for the outlet pass, but can also identify when to switch the play.

Calhanoglu's technical qualities make him a suitable deep-lying playmaker as well, although he would lose his adventurousness in that role.

Future outlook

Born in Germany, Calhanoglu chose to represent Turkey and made it a goal to become the country's Mesut Ozil.

Ozil, a German international of Turkish descent, and Calhanoglu are similar in that they are both skillful midfielders who are neither good in the air nor the most consistent on a weekly basis. But they both possess match-breaking ability, the kind that brings spectators to their feet by way of an incisive pass or, in Calhanoglu's case, a wicked free-kick from as far as 40 yards.

Some say he has not exactly realised his full potential since he made the €14.5-million move to Leverkusen from Hamburg in 2014, but much like the rest of Milan's summer signings, he is right on the cusp of greatness.

Grading the deal

Milan has made a habit of completing deals as quickly as possible, and this one was no exception. Within a week, premature reports of a move turned into a reality. Money certainly helps, but credit must go to Fassone and Mirabelli for acting quickly and securing players for less than their asking price.

One by one, the Italian tandem has identified weaknesses in the squad and addressed them. Milan badly needed a creative spark, and instead of spending a premium on a hot and well-known commodity like James Rodriguez, the Rossoneri spent a third of that on Calhanoglu.

As they did with Silva, whom Porto needed to sell to meet Financial Fair Play regulations, Fassone and Mirabelli found a situation at Leverkusen that worked in their favour. Calhanoglu's value certainly dropped after serving a four-month suspension for a 2011 breach of contract - though he is not a lesser player for it.

Everyone knows Milan has newfound cash thanks to Yonghong Li and David Han Li's necessary takeover, but the club is not spending recklessly or looking to buy the shiniest toys. Like Silva, Kessie, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Mateo Musacchio, Calhanoglu is under the age of 27, has tremendous resale value, and owns the characteristics to become a star in his position.

Verdict: A