Two weeks ago, we covered claims from Portugal which stated Liverpool ‘won’t let go’ of Orkun Kökçü. It was also reported Benfica are aiming to collect €80m from his sale.
On Wednesday, SportBild insisted the midfielder would cost around €50m and the Reds have the funds to secure his services.
Record stated Liverpool will have an official watch the 23-year-old live in action in the Champions League against Feyenoord. The Eagles suffered a 3-1 defeat to the Dutch club at home and Kökçü was on the pitch for 72 minutes.
Prior to the European tie, ESPN NL had a chat with the Turkey international’s father, Halis Kökcu, and his comments are relayed by Feyenoord Pings.
Benfica signed him from Feyenoord in 2023, and he played two seasons under Arne Slot at the Eredivisie side. Orkun scored 21 goals and registered 14 assists from 96 matches under the Dutchman at Feyenoord.
Kökcu Sr. was quizzed about the recent reports linking his son to the Merseyside club and asked if Liverpool are a ‘serious option’ for him.
“Arne is a good friend of ours. He has been through a lot of things with Orkun. Yes, why not? It’s possible,” he said.
The Portuguese club reportedly paid €25m plus bonuses to secure Orkan’s services and offered him a deal until 2028. The player’s father says Benfica’s intention is to make profit from his sale in the future. He revealed this when asked if the Liverpool rumours are true.
“The most important thing now is Orkun’s focus, that he does well with Benfica. But of course, players and trainers don’t have just one station, the staff knows that too,” Halis explained.
“In modern football, clubs think about finances, about making a profit. Orkun is a player who has the potential to make a profit with the next step. The fans and the club are also fine with that, of course. That was also the project. We’ll see where he ends up.”
