Arsenal can finally sign Orkun Kokcu in summer as stars align for Edu

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Arsenal transfer chief Edu may soon be in a position to act on the Gunners’ long-term interest with Orkun Kokcu edging towards a Feyenoord exit. Although not yet a household name across Europe, the youngster is beginning to live up to the high praise he sparked earlier in his career, when he was compared to Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric.

Having made his senior debut in 2018, Arsenal were already well aware of Kokcu’s talents just two years later. Talks were reportedly held but a move to the Emirates never materialised for the midfielder, who was still a teenager at the time. 

If there were any lingering doubts about whether the Turkey international could hack the rigours of the Premier League back then, there may not be anymore as he continues to go from strength to strength with high-flying Dutch giants Feyenoord. 

Still only 22 years old, Kokcu is the captain of Arne Slot’s Eredivisie-leading side, where he frequently impacts high-level matches with 12 goals in all competitions this term.

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While Kokcu’s rising stock could make his signature harder to attract this summer, the fact he is approaching the final two years of his contract makes him an attainable option for Edu. Furthermore, the possibility of Arsenal winning the Premier League should make their job of convincing the player to sign fairly simple.

Those who have followed Kokcu’s career since his early years will be familiar with the talent he possesses, and former Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko once compared him to Modric. Acquiring a younger version of the Real Madrid veteran would be warmly welcomed by Gunners fans, even if he does have some way to go to live up to that comparison.

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Ex-Netherlands international Ronald de Boer is among those to have heaped praise on Kokcu this season, and crucially for Arsenal, the Dutchman believes that his exit is imminent. “He is certainly leaving Feyenoord for a very large amount,” he predicted. “I think he is also difficult to keep.

“He has seen the light. You have to make sure you have an athlete’s body. He has that now. You can see from everything that the boy is so comfortable in his own skin. He looks incredibly fit. That is why he is having such a great season, because he can of course play great football.”

Making inroads for a talented but affordable player like Kokcu – rated at £26million – could prove crucial for Arsenal to save funds for a number of their more expensive targets this summer.

Arteta is thought to be a huge admirer of Declan Rice, although West Ham are set to demand over £100m for the England man. Meanwhile, Everton star Amadou Onana has supposedly been slapped with a £62m asking price and the Gunners’ final January bid for Brighton youngster Moises Caicedo reached £70m.

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