Arsenal are reportedly set to table a £23 million bid to Feyenoord in order to sign highly-rated 19-year-old midfielder Orkun Kokcu.
According to Dutch publication Voetbal International, Arsenal are set to move on the offensive in their pursuit of Orkun Kokcu. The North Londoners are close to lodging a £23 million bid for the Feyenoord midfielder as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his midfield options for the 2020-21 season.
The current world situation might result in an adverse effect on Arsenal’s budget for the upcoming transfer window. But, Mikel Arteta does have a few areas to reinforce in order to strengthen the squad for what will be his first full season in charge of his former club.
19-year-old Orkun Kokcu has built up his repertoire bit by bit and has become a mainstay in the Feyenoord first-team setup. Operating mostly as an attacking midfielder, Kokcu doesn’t have ideal numbers to back up his position on the field but has the skills that a club would need.
Kokcu is a dead ball specialist and has a good shot on him. The 19-year-old midfielder is skilful on the ball as well and is a great asset for clubs focusing more on possession and control, which could be a justification of Arsenal’s interest.
#Arsenal are set to submit a bid to sign Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kokcu, according to reports in the ??.
The 21-year-old, who has scored three goals and made 6 assists in 35 appearances this season, has been hailed as one of the best young midfielders in the Eredivisie. pic.twitter.com/8N1DbxHgXU
— Arsenal News Channel (@Arsenalnewschan) June 2, 2020
Mikel Arteta has had a real dearth of an attacking midfielder since Aaron Ramsey’s departure even though he used to start from a more withdrawn position before advancing to the more dangerous areas on the pitch. Mesut Ozil hasn’t been able to recapture his old form and Dani Ceballos has fallen off after an early surge.
There are rumours that Ceballos prefers a return to Real Madrid, which would reduce the options Arteta has at his disposal. Kokcu could be the ideal long-term solution for the position and would align well with the youngsters that Arsenal are adding to their squad or promoting from within.
Over the recent seasons, we have seen Arsenal sign William Saliba, Kieran Tierney, Matteo Guendouzi and Gabriel Martinelli while promoting the likes of Ainsely Maitland-Niles, Bukayo Saka, Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah. All of the players mentioned herein are either part of the first-team setup or a key player for the club they are loaned to.
Orkun Kokcu will be a good fit in a youthful squad that is aimed to rebuilding the dynasty that Arsene Wenger had managed during his reign at Arsenal. £23 million might be a good chunk of Arsenal’s shrinking transfer budget. But, Arsenal seem to have followed Kokcu closely for a long while and if Arteta really wants him, the Gunners should follow up with a bid, as reported herein.
