What Orkun Kokcu has that four Liverpool players don't as Arne Slot first transfer tipped

Despite Liverpool's only four permanent summer signings in 2023 all being midfielders, Jurgen Klopp's biggest challenge throughout what ended up being his final season at the club was balancing his options in the middle of the park.

An opening day trio of Alexis Mac Allister - primarily a No.8, playing at No.6 - Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai, set the tone. Against Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher pivot, the emptying of space throughout the centre of the pitch was remarkable for two top teams.

It was a battle of teams trying to sign Moises Caicedo and/or Romeo Lavia. Liverpool saved themselves over £150million on the pair but were left with a hole to fill.

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Turning instead to options down the list, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch filled the void, but even then it lacked equilibrium. Endo's rise throughout the season was impressive but took until early December to truly start.

So Klopp leaves behind a talented but flawed group. Each player has their merits but only really Mac Allister looks likely to be deemed near irreplaceable under Arne Slot.

Szboszlai's form deserted him after an early 2024 injury halted his momentum, and the Hungarian didn't buzz around as much as before when he returned. Gravenberch's paltry 1,200 minutes and one goal contribution in the league are that of a young player still finding his way.

How Slot fits them together in a cohesive unit will be one of his biggest tasks in this first summer of change. The Dutchman is expected to field a team that mirrors his preferred 4-3-3, something that will flow on nicely from Klopp's own regular system, but personnel will differ.

The Reds have already been linked with a number of players ahead of the summer window opening. One name is that of former Feyenoord captain Orkun Kokcu.

The 23-year-old played two seasons under Slot in Holland before his move to Benfica last year for £21million. With goals, assists, and bookings aplenty, the Turkish international is no stranger to being stuck in.

After just one year under Slot he was named captain of his boyhood club and has gone on to have an influential role with Roger Schmidt in Lisbon so far. Now, reports suggest that Liverpool could come calling.

Whether or not they will be willing (or indeed able) to stump up close to his £128m release clause is another matter. But it's easy to see why Slot and Liverpool's data-led recruitment team would be after a player of his quality.

Kokcu has racked up over 250 senior appearances before his 24th birthday having come through at Feyenoord as a youngster. At surface level his numbers are strong and consistent too.

In his past three years (two in Eredivisie and one in the Portuguese top division) he has scored seven, eight, and seven goals. There have been nine, two, and nine assists in there as well.

Kokcu is able to play across the midfield, though prefers an advanced role, but has the game for an all-round option. When compared to players outside of the top five leagues in the past year with numbers from Fbref, he is deemed as being one of the best midfielders out there, ranking extremely well per90 on non-penalty goals, shots, assists, shot-creating actions, passes, progressive passes and carries, as well attacking touches.

When that is broadened out to attacking midfielders he is still a top player but with more impressive tackle metrics as well as successful passes. It suggests that although there is a step up to be made in the Premier League, he is top of the pile to do just that.

Analysing his numbers compared to those in the 2023/24 Europa League - which Liverpool played in - Kokcu performs well, albeit from a small sample size of just two games. Champions League comparisons don't reflect well but again, a small sample size and playing in a weaker team do not help.

Stylistically he is alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Martin Zubimendi, both of whom have been linked with big-money moves this summer as well. But perhaps more importantly, when looking at Kokcu and the current Liverpool options, he comes across very well indeed.

Looking at figures from DataMB, assessing central midfielders on their defensive actions, duels, progressive possess, key passes, forward passes, and carries, Kokcu is one of the most all-round in respect to those at the club. Barring Mac Allister, who has comfortably the best graph, Kokcu has the widest spread.

Nobody ranks higher for key passes, progressive passes, or forward passes - not even Szboszlai -while defensively he is similar to Jones. His carries are stronger than that of Mac Allister - no surprise given his play is as a tempo dictator and deep-lying unlocker - and again similar to that of Jones, much better than Endo.

Although the Japanese midfielder ranks well for the defensive actions and even the rate at which he looks forward, there is a lack of penetration. That is ultimately not his role in the side though.

The worry, perhaps, is that in a deeper area he is similar to Szoboszlai, and would be treading on his toes in theory without offering the same level of creativity in the final third. There is certainly a case to suggest that the pair could operate well together if provided with a strong third option.

What this is to say, is that Kokcu has shown himself to be a balanced midfielder capable of contributing across the pitch in a variety of roles. He has a bit of everything in his locker that makes him a more complete option in the data than those that are already on the books.

Whether that can be enough to justify a serious outlay is another question.

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