Portuguese sources: Liverpool want to sign Arne Slot’s old ‘pet project’ midfielder – Liverpool FC

Liverpool could move for a player who excelled under Arne Slot at Feyenoord, with reports in Portugal claiming interest in Benfica midfielder Orkun Kokcu.

Kokcu has been linked with Liverpool on a number of occasions, including before his move from Feyenoord to Benfica in 2023.

At the time, it was claimed that a delay in their advances led the Dutch-born Turk to opt for a move to Lisbon, where he has so far scored 11 goals and laid on 14 assists in 52 games for Benfica.

It was under Slot at Feyenoord that Kokcu’s reputation was enhanced, coming through the academy and settling as one of the coach’s most important players.

There should come as no surprise, then, that the 23-year-old has again been touted with a move to Anfield – and perhaps even as early as January.

That is according to Portuguese newspaper Record, who claim that Liverpool have scouted Kokcu already this season including during the 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League that saw him find the back of the net.

However, the same publication has insisted that Benfica do not intend to sell their No. 10 mid-season and would demand a fee of at least €80 million (£67m).

Further reports have come from the Lisbon-based Correio da Manha, with it suggested that Liverpool are pushing to bring Kokcu to Merseyside.

Whether these claims are to be believed is up for debate, particularly given how regularly the Reds are linked with players from Portugal.

Slot made Kokcu a star

The likes of Alan Varela, Otavio and Fabio Vieira have been linked in the past, while the so-called pursuit of Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim was fuelled by local sources.

However, there may be substance in claims of Liverpool’s interest in Kokcu, particularly as it can be argued that Slot’s squad is still one short in midfield.

Though Kokcu is nominally a No. 10, he has developed into an all-rounder in midfield, not only as a real threat in the final third but also a hard-worker off the ball.

He and Slot formed a strong bond at Feyenoord, with one pundit claiming over the summer that he took the Turkiye international from a “‘lazy’ No. 10” and “made him a very fit player, a professional player, and earned a lot of money for the club and him.”

The midfielder himself has credited his former coach with helping cure the insomnia that dogged not only his form on the pitch but also his life off it.

“It was difficult, there was a lot in my head. The trainer was one of the few who knew about it,” Kokcu told De Volkstrant last year.

“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.”

As it stands, Liverpool seem more likely to add to their squad next summer, rather than in January, but the transfer hierarchy will remain opportunistic.