Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kökçü would be better joining a club like Brighton & Hove Albion rather than making an immediate step up to a bigger team.
That’s the opinion of analyst Win Kieft, who insists that the Seagulls are interested in the 22-year-old after his performances this season.
Kökçü has 12 goals and three assists in 37 games for Feyenoord this season, form that has not gone unnoticed around Europe and in the Premier League in particular.
Kökçü has regularly been linked with a move to England over the last few years and it appears that will not change this summer as a recent report named Brighton among those keeping an eye on him.
They’re likely to be busy in the summer after a superb season under Roberto de Zerbi and their midfield may need reinforcing, particularly if the likes of Moises Caicedo and Alexis MacAllister get the big moves they have also been linked with.
Kieft believes that would be a smart move for the Turkish international to make, rather than joining any of the bigger clubs also reportedly keeping an eye on him.
“He is good, but will still have to make steps,” he told De Telegraaf, relayed by FR 12.
“For example, Kökçü always adopts a very critical attitude towards his own game. Fine in itself, but he should not lose himself in that.
“Furthermore, it gets in his way how emotionally he reacts to everything and how eager he is to show how good he is. In that, he runs past his teammates quite often. That gets in his way.
”Although Real Madrid’s Luka Modric is of a different calibre, he should take a look at the Croatian. He always plays simple, controlled and in the team interest.
“There is a lot of interest for Kökçü, but a step to the absolute European top is too big for him. Better to make an intermediate step at clubs like Benfica and Brighton Hove & Albion, who are also interested in him.”
