Arsenal

Arsenal

Premier League • England

Arsenal plotting move for £30m rated midfielder who has impressed in Europe this season

Ben Stewart
Mohammed Kudus of Ajax, Orkun Kokcu of Feyenoord during the Semifinal of the KNVB Cup match between Feyenoord and Ajax at Feyenoord Stadion

Mikel Arteta is keen on bolstering his squad ahead of next season and Arsenal already have their eye on a long-term target from Europe.

The Gunners are expected to add to their midfield options in the summer. They sealed a deal for Jorginho in January, but they could still do with some more options in this position.

Arsenal have been long-term admirers of Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kokcu and a recent report has clarified their interest ahead of the summer.

The Sun have reported that the Gunners are interested in the 22-year-old, along with Brighton and Leicester.

Arsenal’s interest in the Turkish midfielder dates all the way back to the 2019-20 campaign. Since their original interest, Kokcu has elevated his game to another level.

He has been a key played for Feyenoord, who currently sit eight points clear at the top of the Eredivisie. He has racked up over 2,097 minutes this season and has been one of the league’s standout players.

Kokcu has scored eight goals from midfield in this league campaign, which is one more than he scored last season.

The midfielder has also had a goalscoring touch in Europe, with three goals and two assists to show for his Europa League campaign so far.

Reports suggest that he would cost at least £30million in the summer, which could prove to be a decent deal given his latest performances.

Given that he is only 22 years old, he would also fit into the youthful core that Arteta has already built up in North London.

A new midfielder makes sense

Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka have formed the base of Arsenal’s midfield this season, although they could use an extra option.

Considering that the duo are two of Arsenal’s older players in the squad, it is only natural that they are looking towards the future.

The Gunners have the youngest squad in the league, with an average age of just 24.4. Arteta has built this team with the vision of a long-term plan.

Arsenal were unsuccessful in their attempts to prize Moises Caicedo away from Brighton in January. It would then only be natural for Arsenal to consider alternative options like Kokcu in the summer.

Along with Arsenal, the likes of Leicester, Brighton, Tottenham and Sevilla have also been linked with the Turkish midfielder.

Having Champions League football will also be a huge boost for Arteta and his side next season. This will allow them to attract a higher calibre of player.

As things stand they sit top of the Premier League and hold an eight-point lead over Manchester City. Next up for the Gunners is an away trip to Anfield to face Liverpool.

READ MORE: Arsenal in ‘concrete talks’ over bargain midfield signing as 36-cap international pushes for Bundesliga exit