Liverpool in dreamland as Benfica star green lights Liverpool move, with Arne Slot’s January priority clear

Benfica midfielder Orkun Kokcu has reportedly given the green light to a reunion with former manager Arne Slot at Liverpool, but it won’t be straightforward for the Reds to sign him.

Liverpool are actively looking to bring in a new midfielder, as evidenced by their failed pursuit of Martin Zubimendi over the summer, and have a number of high profile targets on their shortlist.

Kokcu, 23, has been linked with a move to Anfield in recent weeks. He is considered to be one of the best young midfielders in Portugal and can play in a defensive, central or attacking role.

According to Football Insider, Kokcu is ‘interested’ in joining Liverpool next year and his relationship with Slot is a key reason why.

He played under the manager at Dutch side Feyenoord before he joined Benfica in a €25m (£20.9m, $27.3m) transfer in the summer of 2023.

The report claims that Liverpool are keen to sign a new midfielder in January. Kokcu is on their shortlist, but it will take a ‘big fee’ to lure him away from Benfica.

However, if the opportunity to join Liverpool presented itself then Kokcu ‘would be interested in taking it and reuniting with Slot at Anfield.’

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Liverpool told Kokcu transfer is ‘possible’

Liverpool’s main midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have performed well this season, while Curtis Jones has also put in some good performances.

TEAMtalk understands, however, that Slot isn’t convinced by back-up option Wataru Endo, who has played just 16 minutes of Premier League football so far this term.

Slot wants more competition in the middle of the park and Kokcu is one player on his radar. The Benfica star’s father has previously hinted that he would love to join Liverpool, too.

“Arne is a good friend of ours. He has been through a lot of things with Orkun. Yes, why not? It’s possible,” Kokcu’s father said last month.

“The most important thing now is Orkun’s focus, that he does well with Benfica. But of course, players and trainers don’t have just one station, the staff knows that too. In modern football, clubs think about finances, about making a profit.

“Orkun is a player who has the potential to make a profit with the next step. The fans and the club are also fine with that, of course. That was also the project. We’ll see where he ends up.”

Liverpool keen on Real Madrid midfielder – sources

As we exclusively revealed on Saturday, Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is another player Liverpool could swoop for in January.

The Reds are long-term admirers of Tchoaumeni and sources have informed TEAMtalk transfer correspondent Fraser (Fletcher) Gillan that a deal for him ‘is possible.’

We understand reports that Real Madrid are willing to sell the French international do hold water as they look at other targets to bring into their side as they continue to try and build the next generation of Galacticos – and Tchouameni would be a sellable asset.

Tchouameni would only be allowed to leave the Santiago Bernabeu if a replacement of the same or higher quality was brought in to replace him, but Liverpool are keeping a close watch on his situation.

Tchouameni would cost around the £100 million mark to sign. However, sources have made it clear that Liverpool will sanction a huge spend for the correct target.

Meanwhile, the speculation surrounding the future of Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is still rumbling on behind the scenes.

Alexander-Arnold is out of contract at the end of the season and therefore, will be eligible to hold pre-contract talks with foreign clubs from January 1st ahead of a potential free transfer next summer.

Real Madrid are very interested in signing the England star as a long-term replacement for Dani Carvajal, who is currently sidelined with a serious knee injury.

Sources have informed TEAMtalk that Alexander-Arnold remains undecided on his future. Liverpool are willing to make him one of the club’s best-paid players to keep him, while Real Madrid could reportedly offer him a contract worth £15m a year.

IN FOCUS: Who is Orkun Kokcu? 

Born in the northern Netherlands city of Haarlem, Kokcu joined Feyenoord’s youth set-up in 2014, at the age of 13, after spending four years with Groningen.

At 17, he scored after coming off the bench to make his senior debut in a KNVB Cup win over VV Gemert in September 2018.

An Eredivisie bow arrived the following December against Emmen, with Kokcu this time scoring and registering an assist.

After representing the Netherlands as a youth, Kokcu switched allegiance to Turkey at under-21 level. He made his senior international debut in 2020.

Then-manager Slot made Kokcu club captain in September 2022 and Feyenoord went on to win the Eredivisie title in the 2022/23 season.

Kokcu finished the title-winning campaign with eight league goals and two assists, earning the Eredivisie Player of the Year award and a move to Benfica.

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