Benfica midfielder Orkun Kokcu has hailed Liverpool manager Arne Slot as the “best manager in the world” amid reports of a possible meeting with the Dutchman at Anfield.
Kokcu joined Feyenoord’s academy in 2014 and became a star under Slot, who made the Turkish midfielder his captain before seeing him leave for Benfica for a fee of around €30m euros in 2023.
Slot happened to Liverpool 12 months later and he is believed to be set to strengthen in midfield, with numerous reports from Portugal naming Kokcu as a major targetalthough a rumored €80 million asking price has so far proved problematic.
Kokcu did not hide his admiration for Slot in a recent interview with Sports TRTadmitting he wouldn’t be the player he is today without the Dutchman.
“Arne Slot is like my father, he made me who I am,” Kokcu said. “I think he’s the best coach in the world. Tactically, in terms of communication… he’s the best.
“When he took charge of Feyenoord, I saw a big boost in my performance in the first season. That year we reached the final of the Conference League, but unfortunately we lost. So I think the performance was very good .
“I wanted to go on loan in the summer (of 2022) and some of the big clubs in England’s top six were interested in me. We had serious talks about the transfer, but at the last minute it didn’t happen. The following season, Arne Slot he made me team captain and the responsibility boosted my performance even more.”
Liverpool continued to be linked with a number of midfielders including Martin Zubimendi of the Royal Societywhile reports also suggest they are looking to strengthen further forward amid uncertainty over Mohamed Salah’s future.
Omar Marmoush of Eintracht Frankfurt has been presented as a possible target, while Rayan Cherki from Lyon is the latest player to be linked with a move to Anfield.
