According to a recent report by Voetbal International, Chelsea are keeping tabs on the progress of Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kökcü, who wants to stay in Dutch football for at least another season. However, the same source has also stated that the Blues will face fierce competition from Arsenal, Sevilla and several other Turkish clubs in pursuit of the Eredivisie youngster. It is believed that Feyenoord are aware of the growing interest on their prized asset and are hoping to tie Kökcü down to a new contract until 2023 so that they can demand a significantly higher fee for him (via Voetbal International).
Kökcü’s Spectacular Rise In Dutch Football
The 19-year-old came through the youth ranks of Groningen and Feyenoord before breaking out as a first-team starter last season. He has managed to establish himself as a regular feature in Dick Advocaat’s first-team this term and has five assists to show for his efforts. Kökcü has enjoyed the freedom of operating in the number ten position which explains why he has been so productive in terms of his playmaking this season.
The Turkish teenager has also scored three goals in 32 appearances for the Dutch outfit across all competitions. So he has to find a way to score more goals from midfield if he intends to become a world-class player in his position someday. Kökcü has averaged 1.8 shots, 1.6 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per 90 minutes in both league and European football which could be why so many top clubs are interested in his services (stats via whoscored).
The Haarlem-born talent has represented the Netherlands at various youth ranks but has decided to switch his international allegiance to Turkey from the Under-21 level. If he can continue to show signs of improvement in his game with each season, then there is no doubt that he will get a senior call-up from Şenol Güneş sooner rather than later.
What Will The Feyenoord Midfield Ace Bring To Stamford Bridge?
Kökcü is a moderately paced midfielder and can make a few dangerous runs with the ball in the opposition half. He is generally accurate with his ball-distribution and has the eye to pick out a decisive pass in the attacking third of the pitch. The Turkish starlet can also get some shots in from long range but needs to register more goals if he wants to be a success story in English football.
Kökcü is quite effective when trying to press the opponent high up the pitch as he is a tireless worker who won’t mind covering a lot of ground to help his team grind out results. Frank Lampard has shown in the past that he looks for players with a strong mentality and terrific work ethic. Some of Chelsea’s first-team players like Mason Mount, Jorginho, Reece James and Mateo Kovačić have all taken great strides in improving themselves during Lampard’s managerial reign so far.
Hence, the Turkish playmaker will be a perfect fit for the West London outfit as he ticks all the right boxes in terms of what the Blues expect from their first-team players. Kökcü will an excellent long-term acquisition for the Premier League giants and will significantly improve the overall depth of Lampard’s squad. Furthermore, he will also give the Chelsea head coach more options to be a bit more flexible with his formation, tactics and team selection in the future.
