Liverpool boss Arne Slot reportedly has his eye on versatile Benfica attacker Orkun Kokcu. Slot made the Turkey international a key member of his side during his spell in charge of Feyenoord before sanctioning his £25million move to Portugal last summer.
Kokcu was linked with a move to Liverpool after progressing through the Feyenoord academy and making a name for himself in the Netherlands. Now, it appears Slot is intent on getting his prized player back within the ranks.
He has gone on to bag 11 goals and 14 assists in 52 games for Benfica, and has won 35 caps for his country since making his international debut in 2020.
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According to Portuguese newspaper Record, Liverpool have scouted Kokcu this season and watched him during Benfica’s 4-0 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid at the start of the month as the player netted his second European goal of the campaign.
But Benfica have no intentions of cashing in on the talented ace mid-season and would demand at least £67m to consider accepting a proposal.
Kokcu has previously starred in a No. 10 role but has developed a reputation as an all-round midfielder who can offer as much off the ball as he does when threatening teams in the final third with the ball at his feet.
Lisbon-based Correio da Manha have also reported Liverpool’s interest in the 23-year-old and have insisted the Merseyside giants are pushing to bring him to England.
Slot was praised for his development of Kokcu by Kenneth Perez in the summer as the former Ajax and PSV winger told ESPN: “You'd be crazy to not love him because he has put these players on the map.”
And speaking about Kokcu, Perez added: “He was a little bit of a lazy No. 10, thinking he already worked it out in football and Slot has made him a very fit player, a professional player, and earned a lot of money for the club and him.”
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Slot has also been credited with curing Kokcu’s insomnia during his time at Feyenoord, with the player struggling to get 40 winks after drinking recovery shakes at a time that affected his sleeping pattern.
“My heart started beating faster, which made me freeze. I was so shocked that it left me with a little trauma,” Kokcu told De Volkstrant last year. “I didn’t sleep a minute that night and in the months that followed I often couldn’t either. I had to save myself from that trauma.
“The trainer was one of the few who knew about it. He is more than a trainer, he understands exactly how to deal with people. That’s why I cried when I hugged him after the championship game [when Feyenoord won the league title in 2023].”
