According to reports from Turkey, Arne Slot has already identified the first player that he’d like to sign as Liverpool’s new head coach.
Fotospor have claimed that the Dutchman is seeking a reunion with Orkun Kokcu, one of his former players at Feyenoord who left for Benfica last summer and became the Lisbon club’s record signing in the process at €25m (£21.4m), while he reportedly has a whopping €150m (£128m) release clause (Football Oranje).
The 23-year-old hasn’t had a particularly smooth first season at the Estadio da Luiz, though, and it appears that he could be on his way out of the Portuguese capital already.
Kokcu scored 21 times in 96 appearances under Slot at Feyenoord, more goals and games than he’s registered for any other coach during his career so far (Transfermarkt).
He angered his manager Roger Schmidt in March by complaining about being played in a defensive midfield role, but the 57-year-old appeared to take the protestations on board by switching the Turkey international to a number 10 for the final two months of the season.
That redeployment was duly rewarded in the form of four goals and an assist in his final six league matches of the campaign, having netted only three times in all competitions prior to mid-March (Transfermarkt).
Kokcu can play as a number 6, 8 or 10, which could prove highly beneficial in Slot’s preferred 4-2-3-1 setup that he may implement at Liverpool, while he might be eager to reunite with his ex-Feyenoord boss despite seemingly making up with Schmidt.
With Besiktas also seeking to lure the 23-year-old away from Lisbon, the Reds won’t have it all their own way in this prospective transfer pursuit, but the arrival of his former coach at Anfield could have a big impact on how his immediate future plays out.
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