Arsenal aren’t resting on their laurels despite being top of the Premier League table with nine games remaining. Mikel Arteta recognises a need to strengthen his midfield this summer and has a list of transfer targets the Gunners could pursue when the campaign comes to a close.
Arsenal have been linked with Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans and Everton’s Amadou Onana among others, but Charlie Gordon of the Daily Express believes chief executive Edu will soon act on a ‘long-standing interest’ in Orkun Kökcü.
Kökcü seeking move to bigger club
The 22-year-old joined Feyenoord from Groningen in 2014 and has gone on to make 166 appearances in all competitions, scoring 32 goals with 25 assists. Kökcü, who has two goals with three assists from 20 caps for Turkey, has been a regular under Arne Slot, but Rob Tanner of The Athletic said he’s been keen to leave since 2022.
De club aan de Maas are top of Eredivisie, eight points clear of Ajax with seven games remaining, so Kökcü could go from one title-winner to another if he makes the switch to Arsenal. The Gunners have wanted him for years and may only have to pay around £30m for his signature.
Kökcü has scored 12 goals with three assists from 37 games across the board this season. In his 25 league appearances, the 22-year-old averages more than one tackle per game and nearly three chances created per game, so he’s good at turning over the ball and making opportunities in the final third. Kökcü also averages more than 70 passes per game with more than 80% accuracy, so he’s composed in possession.
Arsenal have Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka, Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira who operate in his position, but Elneny has spent the majority of the season injured while Smith Rowe and Vieira have failed to hold down a starting place, so Kökcü would be an upgrade that doesn’t break the bank.
Arteta is highly unlikely to axe Elneny, Smith Rowe and Vieira in one transfer window due to the difficulty in replacing so many players over the summer, but he may bring in healthy competition to improve standards in the squad. As per David Kent of Mail Online, Feyenoord’s highly-rated captain was on Arsenal’s radar back in 2020, so this has been a long time coming.
