Arsenal are set to face competition from local rivals Tottenham Hotspur in their pursuit of Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kokcu this summer.
According to a report from the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur are ready to join North London rivals Arsenal in the race to secure the transfer of Orkun Kokcu from Dutch outfit Feyenoord.
Kokcu, 20, came through the youth ranks at Feyenoord, whom he joined in 2014 and made his first-team breakthrough with in 2018 at the age of 17. Since then, the midfielder, who can play as a No. 8 or a No. 10 has grown into a pivotal player for the Eredivisie outfit, racking up 10 goals and 12 assists from 71 appearances across all competitions.
The 2020/21 campaign has seen Kokcu feature 24 times for Feyenoord, while making a contribution of three goals and two assists. Regarded as one of the brightest young midfielders in Europe, the 20-year-0ld, who has three caps for the Turkish national team, has attracted interest from several top clubs in the continent.
Arsenal, for one, have had a long-standing interest in Kokcu. In fact, the Gunners tried to sign the central midfielder back in the summer of 2020, but a move failed to come to fruition. And they could once again push to land the 20-year-old as the need for a new midfielder at the Emirates is quite apparent.
Thomas Partey has endured an injury-riddled debut season in England while Mohamed Elneny is a mere squad option at best. And with Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard both only on loan spells which expire at the end of the season, someone like Kokcu, who can play as an attacking midfielder or in a withdrawn role would be a smart signing for Arsenal.
However, the Gunners are now set to face competition from arch-rivals Tottenham, who are also sizing up a move for Kokcu. The Lilywhites strengthened their midfield unit last summer with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg but have not been able to find an ideal partner for him thus far.
Tanguy Ndombele has been used alongside the Dane, but the former Lyon man offers more when playing in a slightly advanced position. In addition to that, Moussa Sissoko is not getting any younger while Harry Winks has been linked with an exit, as has Dele Alli. Kokcu, thus, can prove to be a handy addition to Jose Mourinho’s side.
To that end, Tottenham are already said to have made contact with Kokcu’s representatives to register their interest in the 20-year-old. Kokcu is not the only player that both the north London giants have their sights set on, with RB Leipzig’s Christian Nkunku also on the radars of Arsenal and Spurs, along with Philippe Coutinho of Barcelona. It now remains to be seen who they decide to go after in the summer window.