Hakan Calhanoglu has offered to give up his complete Bayer Leverkusen salary including all bonuses for the duration of a four-month FIFA ban he is currently serving for breach of contract.
Calhanoglu, 22, is currently in the process of taking his case to a civil court in Lausanne, Switzerland, according to Express, but he released a statement on Tuesday to explain his decision.
"Bayer 04 have nothing to do with the incidents at that time," he said, as reported on the club's official website. "Yet, by the ban the club was hit hard both from an economic and sporting point of view. That's why it's a given that I don't want to inflict more damage on the club and will pass on my salary for the duration of the ban."
Hakan #Calhanoglu verzichtet für die Zeit seiner Sperre auf sein Gehalt bei #Bayer04.
Alle Infos: https://t.co/JUXGcFKcjb pic.twitter.com/qHfgZkvy1j
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04fussball) February 7, 2017
Calhanoglu has to serve the ban after signing a contract with Turkish club Trabzonspor as a teenager and never joining the club. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled last Thursday that the FIFA ban, which was frozen pending the appeal verdict, "is reinstated with immediate effect."
Express reports Calhanoglu will now take his case to a civil court, where he is set to fight to obtain an interim order to reclaim his playing licence.
However, the newspaper, which was citing sources from within Leverkusen, added that the chances of winning the court case were negligible.
But the CAS has rejected claims that the verdict was held back until the end of the winter transfer window.
"That's not correct," CAS general secretary Matthieu Reeb said. "The office of the CAS court informed the involved parties about the arbitrament on Feb. 2, as soon as it had the clearance from the arbitration court."
Meanwhile, Leverkusen have confirmed that they have held talks with Hakan Calhanoglu over his future at the club.
The Turkey international has been linked with an exit from Leverkusen and had to deny on Monday quotes attributed to him that he is hoping to play for Premier League leaders Chelsea next season.
Bild reported on Tuesday that the Turkey international's agent, Bektas Demirtas, met with the Leverkusen hierarchy earlier this week to discuss his client's future.
"It was a good, exploratory talk. An exchange about the overall situation and the next steps," Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller told Bild.