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Liverpool could be about to get ‘another Philippe Coutinho’ as ideal Jürgen Klopp transfer eyed
The transfer window is rife with all sorts of speculation about Liverpool’s summer targets. Jürgen Klopp needs plenty of new arrivals in order to complete his next wave at Anfield, and his midfield is going to be the biggest department facing reform over the course of the coming months.
In order to complete his midfield rebuild, Klopp needs different profiles of midfielders. Having lost a lot over the years — from Philippe Coutinho to Georginio Wijnaldum — he will wave goodbye to the likes of James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keïta this summer. There’s a lot to make up for.
Alexis Mac Allister seems to be the first wave of Klopp’s new revolution, but more will follow. Liverpool needs not only a box-to-box midfielder but a ball-winner and a creative outlet as well.
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For the latter role an ideal transfer could be Orkun Kökcü who as per Football Transfers has been eyed as a potential target for the club this summer.
The captain of Feyenoord, Kökçü has played a key role in helping the team lift the Eredivisie trophy this season, having led the club to the Europa Conference League final last season.
Still only 22 years old, it nonetheless definitely feels like the time is rife for the midfielder to move onto pastures new and make the next step, and Anfield could be an ideal destination. Recently, Liverpool has provided an excellent pathway from the Eredivisie; the latest example of that has been Cody Gakpo’s brilliant start to life in a red shirt since his arrival from PSV.
With Pep Lijnders being well known for keeping an eye on football in his homeland, his links with the Eredivisie must also help players coming from that environment to settle in.
On the field, Kökçü’s style of play ticks a lot of boxes for Liverpool. Quite diminutive, standing at only 1.75 meters, his low center of gravity gives him shades of Coutinho on the ball, but it’s not just his dribbling that is reminiscent of the Brazilian, Kökçü is a bit of a specialist for shooting from outside the box as well.
Three of his last four goals this season have come from outside the box as per Wyscout. To further highlight the point, a whopping 64 of his last 75 shots have come from outside the box as well, showcasing a serial proclivity to take long range strikes on goal.
On paper, his robust style and his energy as well gives him the kind of traits that are tailor-made for Klopp’s gegenpressing style. He may not come in as an immediate starter but as a squad player Kökçü could give exactly the type of game-changing quality Liverpool needs off the bench, not least with that Coutinho knack of producing something from nothing.
Everything hinges on the price. Feyenoord won’t want to lose its captain on the cheap. However, the Eredivisie side’s record transfer sale to date was was Luis Sinisterra to Leeds United for only $27m (£22m/€25m). At a similar price range, Kökçü could prove to be a bargain for Klopp’s side this summer.
