Liverpool don’t put all their eggs in one basket and that was the case with midfield research. They told a specific target to wait before making a significant move.
The Reds wasted little time in securing the signing of Alexis Mac Allister, the first of what many are hoping for a handful of signings this summer.
Further reinforcements are expected in midfield and defence, but we can see Liverpool have not deviated from their transfer strategy when it comes to drafting potential additions.
According to Dutch outlet 1908.NL, the Reds were “close enough” to making a move on Turkish midfielder Orkun Kokcu, asking the 22-year-old not to sign for Benfica.
However, the Feyenoord captain was announced as a new signing for the Portuguese club on 10 June, with Liverpool having never made an offer before the Dutch club’s deadline.
It’s not the first time the Reds have been window shopping and putting a player in the cart before they never do it – they make sure they have options.
However, you can only drag out a convincing argument for so long before another party loses interest or looks elsewhere, which is what happened to Kokcu, if reports are to be believed.
Liverpool have been linked with Kokcu all year and for good reason he is versatile in midfield and availability is one of his greatest assets, something the Reds need more of.
At the age of 22 he has made 175 first-team appearances and that’s the threshold Liverpool usually like when it comes to judging a player’s ability and qualities.
He has completed the most forward-looking passes in the Eredivisie in 2022-23 and is usually found on the left side of midfield. With a price tag in the region of €30m (£25.7m), it can be assumed that Liverpool have opted to pursue Mac Allister.
Both Brighton and Manchester United generated interest, but it was ultimately Benfica who brought in the exciting young midfielder.
Meanwhile, the Reds continue to be associated with the likes of Gabri Veiga, Khephren Thuram, Manu Kone and Ryan Gravenberch.
