Newcastle United have sent scouts to watch Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kokcu ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to reports.
What's the latest on Kokcu to Newcastle?
Eddie Howe is reportedly looking to bolster his ranks with a couple of new central additions following Jonjo Shelvey’s permanent move to Nottingham Forest in January, and has identified the 22-year-old as a player he’d like to bring to St James’ Park. The Turkey international won’t be out of contract in Rotterdam until 2025, but being Arne Slot’s overall best-performing player with a match rating of 7.34 (as per WhoScored), he has caught the Toon manager's eye.
The Eredivisie star is also the captain of his side, who are currently at the top of the table and eight points clear of Ajax, which shows that he’s more than capable of leading his team towards success – an attribute that is no doubt extremely attractive to Howe.
According to De Telegraaf (via Sport Witness), Newcastle, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are all “in the picture” to sign Kokcu ahead of the 2023/24 term. The Magpies have already “sent their scouts” to watch him in action, with the top-flight trio “regular visitors” when it comes to being in attendance to assess their target.
Feyenoord’s skipper recently admitted that he thinks the Premier League is “really great” and “one of the best” in the world, which could give them an advantage, but with Benfica also interested in completing a deal, the three English suitors “have to be wary” of their fierce competition.
Should Newcastle go all out for Kokcu?
Feyenoord will be in a very strong negotiating position given Kokcu’s contract situation, so his required price tag remains to be seen, but looking at the qualities he possesses going forward, we think Newcastle should definitely do what they can to get a deal over the line.
The two-footed ace is naturally a central midfielder but is extremely strong in the attacking aspect of his game, having posted 15 goal contributions (12 goals and three assists) in 37 appearances across all competitions this season.
Dubbed a “leader” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the £5.8k-p/w playmaker ranks in the 99th percentile for shot-creating actions and most progressive passes among players in his position at a similar level for the past year, showing that he’s always looking to make things happen in the opposition box.
Kokcu also has the versatility to play in central and attacking midfield alongside roles out wide on either flank, so he would add plenty of flexibility and depth to Howe's squad at St James' Park.
