Man Utd's ideal midfielder issues come-and-get-me plea to Ratcliffe

Tom Weber

• Updated: 16 Mar 2024 21:30 GMT
• 4 min read

Orkun Kokcu is not happy at Benfica and Manchester United would be well-advised to be attentive to the situation.

The former Feyenoord captain exchanged Rotterdam for Lisbon in the summer, but the Turkish international is already eyeing a potential exit. In an explosive interview with De Telegraaf, the Dutch-born midfielder accused head coach Roger Schmidt of not keeping the promises he made to persuade the sought-after star to join.

"I never felt like I was being made to feel important from the start. Not even by the coach! I'm not the type to bang my fist on the table or make demands, but perhaps I was too modest because of the role he presented to me.”

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Kokcu has featured in 34 games this term, putting up solid numbers for a central midfielder with three goals and 10 assists, but he is not a guaranteed starter. According to Dutch media, he will consider his future should the situation not improve.

Man Utd need to be ready to pounce

This potentially presents an interesting opportunity for Man Utd. The Red Devils were one of the myriad clubs interested in Kokcu last summer and they will once again be attentive to the midfielder market this year, with the likes of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and even captain Bruno Fernandes facing uncertain futures.

Thanks to Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment, they will have money to spend, which would be necessary in the event of a move for Kokcu. His transfer from Feyenoord to Benfica for €25 million was a record sale for the former and the third-biggest outlay made on a signing by the latter. Given how notoriously good Portuguese clubs are at getting full value and then some for their players, Man Utd would need deep pockets.

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Despite this, the midfielder could be worth the money. According to data experts SciSports, Kokcu would be an ideal signing for the Red Devils, and that is before taking into account potential sales, which would further increase his prospects of regular game time.

Using SciSports' Career Advice tool, we can see that Man Utd are the 22-year-old's best next destination with a good Club Fit rating of 84, ahead of the likes of Man City, AS Roma and Bayern Munich. Moreover, SciSports believe that we have not yet seen the very best of Kokcu.

The Turkish international still has significant potential and could become better than any of Man Utd's current midfielders except Bruno Fernandes. While signing a long-term replacement for Casemiro is Man Utd's most pressing midfield concern, the creative Kokcu could be a valuable addition once the Casemiro problem has been fixed.