Arne Slot is winning games and earning credit and respect at Liverpool. The Dutch coach has shattered many preconceptions and exceeded expectations since arriving from Feyenoord. Under his leadership, Liverpool have won nine out of 10 matches across all competitions since the start of the season.Slot is now viewed in a different light on the island, and he himself has a different perspective on his role within the club. Unlike his counterparts at rival clubs, Slot did not receive any new signings as a “gift” during the summer transfer market. Until the final moments of the transfer window, Liverpool had not made any new additions, and then capitalized on the opportunity to sign Federico Chiesa from Juventus. However, the Italian wasn’t a planned or crucial signing, but rather an investment worth making.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Slot’s good results at the beginning of the season gave him the courage and optimism to initiate conversations with the club about more concrete moves. According to Record, Slot has made a significant request for the future. He has asked director Richard Hughes to bring Orkun Kökçü from Benfica, and Liverpool have sent scouts to Lisbon in recent weeks to assess the player’s quality firsthand.The Turkish midfielder is Slot’s protégé from Feyenoord. Kökçü was the playmaker for the Rotterdam side during Slot’s most successful days and had the coach’s full trust. In the summer of 2023, he became Benfica’s most expensive signing ever, with a transfer fee of €25,000,000.##NAJAVA_MECA_8405600##However, in Lisbon, he hasn’t replicated his performances from Rotterdam. Far from being a disappointment, he hasn’t quite adapted to Roger Schmidt’s style of play. Although he was a regular, scoring seven goals and providing 11 assists in 43 matches, he did not leave the impression of a game-changing addition. The local media especially criticized his lackluster performances in the Champions League, where he failed to make a significant impact.Towards the end of last season, the reasons behind this became apparent. Kökçü gave an interview to the media in his home country, revealing that he wasn’t very happy at Benfica and that the coach didn’t know how to use him properly. This led to him briefly being sidelined from the team.Shortly afterward, Slot took over at Liverpool and urged the club to bring in Kökçü as a key addition. At that time, his market value was around €45,000,000. In fact, Benfica would have sold him for that amount. However, Liverpool felt that such a player wasn’t a necessity at the time.Kökçü entered his second season with Benfica, but things got off to a rocky start. He was substituted at halftime in the first league match, played only 25 minutes off the bench in the second, and it was clear that there was a lack of trust between him and Schmidt. Poor results ultimately led to Schmidt’s dismissal, with Bruno Lage taking over as the new coach. Lage revitalized Kökçü, moving him into a more attacking role. The Turkish player thrived, providing two assists against Santa Clara in Lage’s first game, scoring a beautiful free-kick goal against Red Star that paved the way for a victory, and netting again against Boavista. He also scored against Atletico Madrid — this is the Kökçü from his Feyenoord days!Reports suggest Arne Slot wants Orion Kokcu who he worked with at Feyernoord in January. The Turkish playmaker now plays for Benfica and is lighting it up for them. #LiverpoolFC #YNWA pic.twitter.com/ghcpmGqYuq— All Liverpool Talk (@AllLivTk) October 10, 2024 Arne Slot knows this version of Kökçü well, and he is now even more eager to bring him to Liverpool. This time, however, he has a better standing at the club than he did last summer when he arrived. Not only is he achieving great results, but he was also right about Kökçü, who is now shining at Benfica. The only problem is that Liverpool will have to pay much more now than they would have if they had listened to the coach last summer.Kökçü has a buyout clause of €150,000,000, but according to Portuguese media, Benfica would be willing to sell him for €80,000,000 next summer. That’s nearly double the price from six months ago. While it can’t be said that Liverpool regrets not signing him earlier given their current results, they might find the situation uncomfortable.🇵🇹 outlet Record reports #LFC scouts were in attendance during Benfica vs Atletico Madrid with focus on Orkun Kokcu who Arne Slot managed at Feyenoord previously. pic.twitter.com/AbkyaOMlnR— Moby (@Mobyhaque1) October 10, 2024 Liverpool’s midfield under Slot looks solid, but the Dutch strategist believes that Kökçü could elevate it further. Alexis Mac Allister has been Liverpool’s best midfielder this season, but he lacks some of Kökçü’s offensive qualities. Ryan Gravenberch has rejuvenated his form, reminiscent of his potential at Ajax, but he is more of a defensive midfielder. Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai could face increased competition if Kökçü joins, while Wataru Endo has almost disappeared from the lineup and is not part of Slot’s plans.Liverpool did not value Slot’s opinion last summer, though they were ready to offer him a major signing in the form of Martín Zubimendi from Real Sociedad. However, the Spanish midfielder declined the offer, choosing to remain at Anoeta. The circumstances are now different, and Liverpool could perhaps fulfill their manager’s wish as early as January, especially if they remain in a strong position in the title race at mid-season.
