There was no more suspense. Announced by the English press, chanted by Jürgen Klopp during the German’s last match at Anfield, Arne Slot officially became Liverpool’s new coach yesterday afternoon, at around 6 p.m. The Batavian technician will have the difficult task of succeeding a Reds legend. His first choices will therefore be scrutinized. The Premier League season having ended, we will have to wait a little before knowing about the tactical choices of the new strong man at Anfield.
On the other hand, supporters of the Mersey club will have plenty of time to witness its first decisions for the summer transfer window which will officially open its doors in around three weeks. It also seems that Slot has already identified the first recruit he wants. The Portuguese press relays information from the Turkish media Fotospor according to which the lucky winner is Orkun Kökçü, the Benfica midfielder.
Slot wants to find one of his former protégés
Kökçü is no stranger to Slot since the two men worked together for three years at Feyenoord before the Turk’s departure for Portugal in 2023. The most expensive recruit in the history of the Aguias (€25 million), Kökçü is the one of the symbols of the failure of the Lisbon club’s expensive transfer window this season. Very irregular, the player still has 7 goals and 11 assists in 43 matches, all competitions combined. Linked to the SLB until 2028, Kökçü was recently announced in the sights of the Russian club Zenit, but Benfica does not seem to want to part with it.
Which may be surprising given what the principal concerned had sent about his club and its coach Roger Schmidt in the columns of Telegraaf last March. “I chose Benfica thinking that it was the best option for my career and that I could progress in all areas. It only happened partially. (…) From the beginning, they never made me feel important. Not even the coach. I’m not one to complain, but maybe I’ve been too modest so far about the role I’ve been given.” Will the situation change if Slot pushes to get its former player back?
