Arne Slot's potential first signing as Tottenham manager has been named, with the captain from his Eredivisie winning Feyenoord side Orkun Kokcu touted for a move to north London.
Slot is expected to become the new Spurs manager, with the Daily Mail reporting that a deal is close to completion. He won the league this season, ending three successive years of Ajax dominating the competition and also reached last term's Europa Conference League final, losing to Jose Mourinho's Roma.
Spurs will reportedly have to part with £10million in order to seal his appointment, with the 44-year-old having emerged as the leading candidate ahead of the likes of Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter. With the club needing a summer overhaul in the transfer market, Kokcu has been touted as the man to bring added creativity to the side.
Dutch journalist Marcel van der Kraan has compared £40m-rated Kokcu to Phil Foden, with the 22-year-old having come through the club's youth ranks to captain the side. This is similar to Foden's progression from Manchester City academy product to title winner with Pep Guardiola, although the players have slightly different roles.
Can der Kraantold talkSPORT : "I think he [Slot] will bring in one player in particular and that is the captain Orkun Kokcu, a Turkish international, and only 22 years of age. A youth product, let’s say similar to Phil Foden at Manchester City, a player who everybody is very keen on, only his position is a bit different.
"He is a midfielder, a playmaker, and he has been the driving force in the team over the last two years. If I was a top-six Premier League club, I would be going for Kokcu, definitely." Kocku has so far achieved 20 caps for the Turkish national team, having been born and raised in The Netherlands.
"If Spurs get him, it will definitely be worth to watch him and see him grow, he can get better. He understands the way this manager wants to play, what he is all about. Very high pressing and attack-minded."
With 32 goals in 173 matches for the Rotterdam based side, Kocku is a more adventurous midfielder than Spurs current crop. Should Slot join the club, he would likely play a 4-2-3-1, with Kocku having played for Feyenoord in a deeper role as a playmaker - but his technical and pressing ability could lead to a role higher up the pitch at Spurs.
The midfielder has also been linked to Manchester United and Aston Villa, but could favour a move to Spurs given his relationship with Slot. He would, however, have to cope without Champions League football, with Feyenoord having qualified for Europe's elite club competition following their title win.
This is a point raised by former Netherlands playmaker Wesley Sneijder, who has told Kocku to stay at Feyenoord.
“I would say stay another year," Sneijder told Veronica Inside, as cited by United in Focus. "Enjoy it. If you’re really good, that option will come naturally. Maybe he can reach the top of European football. If he is a starter player for three or four years and he carries that team, then that is possible.”
Sneijder added: “If you go to a mid-ranking team and opt for the money, there is a chance that you will never play in the Champions League. I would say stay at Feyenoord.”
