Arsenal ‘still hold the advantage’ despite Benfica rushing to complete £35m deal

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Arsenal reportedly hold the advantage over Benfica in the race to sign Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kokcu in spite of the Portuguese club’s desire to wrap up a quick deal for the 22-year-old this summer. The Gunners are thought to be keen on improving their ranks in the engine room over the next few weeks as Mikel Arteta looks to prepare his squad for a renewed Premier League title challenge next season.

Kokcu is said to be well-liked by those in power at the Emirates Stadium and recently helped Feyenoord to win their first Dutch title in six years with his impressive performances in the middle of the park. He has since been linked with a high-profile move away from the Eredivisie ahead of next season, with Arsenal and Benfica thought to be among the biggest clubs chasing his signature.

Benfica are determined to speed up their efforts to land Kokcu in order to get the jump on Arsenal, according to Record, amid internal fears that the Gunners will beat them to the post if they delay their pursuit for any longer. They are hoping to get a deal done ‘as soon as possible’ but will reportedly face a problem in meeting Feyenoord’s asking price, which is believed to be in the region of £35million.

A potential solution could be for Benfica to include a hefty sell-on clause in any offers for Kokcu, which they believe could help to reduce his transfer fee given their knack for developing young players to sell on for massive profits. However, it is said that Arsenal remain in the driving seat to sign the midfielder as a result of their Premier League status, which is seen as a ‘more attractive league’ than Portugal’s top flight.

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The north Londoners would also be in a better position to shell out the entirety of Kokcu’s asking price, although he is not the only central midfield player on Arsenal’s radar in advance of the upcoming Premier League campaign. They have also been credited with a keen interest in signing West Ham skipper Declan Rice, while Brighton playmaker Moises Caicedo is said to remain a target for the Gunners in spite of their failure to snap him up back in January.

Arsenal have already been urged to chase a summer move for Kokcu by former Feyenoord ace Jan Boskamp, who recently suggested that he would serve as the ideal replacement for Granit Xhaka if the 30-year-old ends up leaving the club between now and the start of next season.

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“If I could say it, I would send him to Arsenal,” he told Koffie met Boskamp. “Why? Because there is a lot of footballing ability in that team and there are many young boys out there, and that Swiss [Xhaka], I think he is on his last legs.”

Boskamp went on to underline the role that Kokcu’s impressive leadership qualities have played in his emergence as a key man at Feyenoord by adding: “You can see that he enforced it, he has become an extension of the trainer. You can see on the field that he has grown compared to last year.

“He takes the corners and the free kicks. If he chases through and others don’t participate, you see him shouting: ‘Hey, join us’. He didn’t do that a year and a half ago. Now he’s the big man in midfield.”

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