Father of Benfica’s Orkun Kökcu Admits ‘It Is Possible’ He Joins Liverpool in the Future
Over the years, Liverpool have not had the best of luck when it comes to signing their main midfield targets, most notably losing out to Aurlien Tchouameni, Moises Caicedo and more recently Martin Zubimendi.
Despite this disappointment, the Reds aren't doing too badly in the midfield department under Arne Slot, with Ryan Gravenberch really stepping up and Alexis Mac Allister showing his class.
Even squad players such as Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo have also proven their worth this season, putting in important cameos when called upon.
Most fans would be in agreeance that not signing Zubimendi was a blessing in disguise and that Gravenberch has more than proved why Jurgen Klopp pushed so hard to sign him from Bayern Munich.
Another player who Liverpool wanted whilst Klopp resided on Merseyside was then Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kökçü, who was manager by Slot at the time.
The Turkish international ended up joining Benfica for a reported fee of €25million in 2023 and since signing for the Portuguese side he has become a vital player.
Roger Schmidt's side even rate him so highly that they have put a reported £125million release clause in his contract, though it is thought they could be persuaded to sell if a fee close to £65million is submitted.
Liverpool have also recently been handed a potential boost in signing the 23-year-old after his father, Halis Kokcu, spoke to ESPN Netherlands, via LFC Transfer Room on X, and suggested his son could link up with his former Feyenoord coach in the future.
"Arne is a good friend of ours," Halis Kokcu said when asked if his son could play under Slot in the future. "He has experienced a lot of things with Orkun. Yes, why not? It is possible.”
Kokcu would be a great addition to this Liverpool side, the Turkish international is only 23-years-old and can play a wide range of roles across midfield.
The main stumbling block is going to be Benfica, who we know from previous business with them can be very stubborn and not budge on their asking price.
This transfer is definitely one to keep an eye on for the upcoming transfer windows!
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