Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect Calhanoglu's denial of speaking to a Turkish newspaper.
Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu has denied quotes attributed to him by Fanatik that he is hoping to play for Premier League leaders Chelsea next season.
The Turkish daily newspaper quoted Calhanoglu, who joined Leverkusen from Hamburg for £11.5 million in the summer of 2014, as saying he wants his future to be at Chelsea.
But in a tweet on Monday, Calhanoglu refuted the article, writing: "I said nothing about Chelsea in the press & didn't talk to any Turkish journalist -- neither about the court decision nor about my future!"
Fanatik had said Chelsea had identified the 22-year-old as a summer replacement for Oscar, who left Stamford Bridge for Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG for a club-record £60m at the beginning of January.
Calhanoglu objected to Fanatik quoting him as saying: "God willing, I will be a Chelsea player next season."
Calhanoglu will miss the rest of the season after being handed a four-month ban by FIFA for allegedly breaching a contract signed with Turkish club Trabzonspor when he was 17 years old, but had registered six goals and five assists in 15 Bundesliga appearances this campaign prior to that ruling.
Trabzonspor claimed that Calhanoglu and his father accepted payments of €100,000 each to sign a professional contract with the club, before reneging on the agreement and joining German side Karlsruher instead.
Fanatik had also quoted Calhanoglu as saying he would not allow the punishment to derail his career, a statement the player also denied making.
