Anfield is whispering his name. Orkun Kokcu—the deep-lying metronome who learned to bend games at Feyenoord—has options as per Caught Offside.
Manchester United want him. Tottenham and Inter are circling. Turkey’s giants would open their doors. Yet the line leading to Liverpool looks shortest.
Why? History. Kokcu lifted the Eredivisie under Arne Slot. Player and coach spoke the same tempo, the same risk. That bond travels. To Anfield, it might travel again.
Since moving to Benfica, Kokcu has not hidden. Eighteen goal contributions in year one, then 12 goals and nine assists last season.
Two more assists at the Club World Cup before Chelsea cut the lights. A Taca da Liga in his pocket. Numbers that tug at recruiters.
Reportedly, Benfica will listen around £34m. That is the price of possibility. That is the price of pace.
Liverpool’s midfield still seeks balance. Mac Allister and Gravenberch can build. Curtis Jones fills gaps. Wataru Endo fights minutes. A conductor who can also run the lanes? Limited supply. Hurry.
United, meanwhile, weigh tomorrow. Casemiro’s successor is a question asked weekly, answered slowly. If he stays until 2026, the clock keeps ticking. Windows close. Plans drift.
Kokcu is 24. Internationally seasoned. A mirror for the modern eight. He can sit, he can surge. He makes teams breathe. He fits a press, threads passes through chaos, and shoots early when space yawns.
If Slot calls, hearts remember. If Liverpool move, they move first. If United hesitate, the train leaves.
The summer is short. The stakes are not for all.