Liverpool’s first summer signing could be Arne Slot’s favorite with ‘£128m release clause’

Liverpool appear to be wasting no time in revamping Arne Slot’s squad ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League season.

The Dutchman was officially announced as the new head coach on Monday, just a day after Jurgen Klopp’s final game in charge. And although Klopp leaves with the Reds in a healthy position after a third-place finish and victory in the Carabao Cup final, changes are afoot.

The futures of Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold must be settled, while Mohamed Salah also faces an uncertain summer. For Slot, it leaves a lot to do in the coming months.

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The former Feyenoord boss will not officially start until June 1, but much of the groundwork had been completed long before his eventual announcement. It leaves room for the recruitment to be completed during the summer.

Now, it looks like Richard Hughes is ready to hit the market right away. According to Turkish publication Fotospor, former Feyenoord captain Orkun Kokcu has been chosen as a target.

The 23-year-old midfielder only left the Eredivisie last summer, leaving the title winners from Slot for £21m. He was snapped up by Benfica, where he played 43 times in his debut season.

As a versatile midfielder capable of operating in midfield in a deep role or in a more advanced position, Kokcu has attracted attention. Scoring four goals and an assist in the final six games of the season once moved up by Roger Schmidt, the Dutchman is a standout option after registering a total of seven goals and eight assists in less than 2,000 league minutes.

He will come at a cost, however, with reports of a staggering £128m release clause. Having paid over £80m for Darwin Nunez two years ago, Liverpool already know how tough Benfica can be in negotiations.

18 months ago they managed to make a monstrous return on Enzo Fernandez just half a season after signing him, securing more than £100m for the Argentine when he moved to Chelsea.

However, Liverpool need reinforcements in the center of the park as they try to address the lack of balance often found at the heart of Klopp’s side, despite Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo and Alexis Mac Allister all joining in the summer.

Kokcu could be the answer for Slot, having played 96 times under the Reds’ new head coach at Feyenoord, scoring 21 times and assisting 14, while also picking up 19 yellow cards as an all-action midfielder.

He was named club captain in his second season despite only being 21 at the start of the campaign. After coming through the club’s academy, he saw his role grow under Slot, being a regular in the senior team from 17 onwards.

He now plays for Turkey at international level, despite being a Dutch junior representative. Kokcu was named Dutch Footballer of the Year in 2023 and has a contract in Lisbon until 2028.

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