According to a Turkish media Photosby, Liverpool They have become new candidates to sign Benfica midfielder Orkun Kokcu this summer.
The Turkish international was on the radar of first division clubs last summer, but ended up joining Benfica from Feyenoord, where he captained the club under Arne Slot.
Slot has now been announced as the new Liverpool manager and Photosby They claim that the 45-year-old could be thinking about reuniting with the 23-year-old, who graduated from Feyenoord.
Benfica bought Kokcu from the former Dutch champions for £21 million and it is reported that the Portuguese giants could sell him for a record fee when the transfer The window opens again.
Possible reunion
Liverpool mainly focused on strengthening their midfield last summer. They signed Alexis Mac Allister, Dominic Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch.
Despite the huge investment in the position, there is still a potential point of weakness. The Merseyside giants are still lagging behind when it comes to midfield creativity.
Kokcu could be a good solution for the Reds and Slot. The Turkish star had a good 2023/24 campaign with Benfica. He scored 7 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 appearances.
The midfielder was still unhappy with the coach's constant change of position. He played in defensive, central and attacking midfield roles with Roger Schmidt.
Meanwhile, Joao Félix is currently Benfica record sale at £108m and Liverpool are unlikely to pay that amount for Kokcu. The Reds will not be able to offer more than £60 million.
A transfer could also depend on Slot's stance. The Dutchman may feel that he can bring out the best in the midfielder at his best, given that he was his main playmaker at Feyenoord.
Kokcu could easily be persuaded to move to Anfield due to Slot's presence, but a transfer could ultimately depend on whether Benfica are prepared to negotiate the transfer fee.
