Liverpool's £126m midfield target would give Arne Slot tactical problem if he joins

Liverpool are once again being linked with a former Arne Slot favourite in Benfica’s Orkun Kokcu.

The 23-year-old midfielder was a key figure during his time at Feyenoord and his form under the manager earned him a €30million move to one of Portugal’s biggest clubs in 2023. Having produced 11 goals and 14 assists from midfield across 55 games, he has become one of the club’s most important players.

And now Record in Portugal are reporting transfer interest; it is claimed that Kokcu is a name at the top of Liverpool’s shortlist and that the midfielder has a release clause of £126million. Someone who could easily fit into the mould of the current starting XI, Kokcu would be an upgrade on any of the passing quality demonstrated by their current midfield.

He has more key passes and progressive passes than all of Liverpool’s current starting midfield - but falls short in duel win % and defensive actions, suggesting he would feature in a slightly different role. Looking at his heatmap from his time at Benfica and Feyenoord, he naturally appears on the left-hand side of midfield - which is where Mac Allister and Curtis Jones typically play. All of his figures reflect someone who is brilliant at contributing in attack and from a creative standpoint, meaning that his arrival would likely result in a tactical switch for the two midfielders behind him.

Comparing him to Szoboszlai, who plays in the most advanced position, Kokcu averages more key passes, progressive passes and forward passes - but the Hungarian is far more adept at winning duels and his defensive actions. It is a crucial reason why he is in the team. Losing vital energy in that position could result in a similar performance as we saw against Arsenal, as Alexis Mac Allister struggled on the right-hand side.

However, he has a very similar heatmap to Mac Allister and he averages similar ball recoveries per 90 and a similar pass success rate. The Argentinian is more successful in the tackle and in winning duels. Questions over the Turkish international’s quality going forward isn’t in question but it is likely that his signing would require a tactical switch which may not be worth the cost it is requiring to sign him. Yet he remains an interesting option overall.