An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their pursuit of an addition to their midfield ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window…
What's the latest on Orkun Kokcu to Aston Villa?
According to the Mirror, Unai Emery is strongly considering a bid to sign the Feyenoord central midfielder to bolster his options in the middle of the park.
The report claims that at least six Premier League clubs are showing an interest in the 22-year-old but the Villans are currently among the favourites to land his signature in the coming months.
It remains to be seen how much NSWE would be willing to allow the head coach to spend on the Turkey international, however, as Feyenoord could be tempted by an offer in the region of £40m.
Where does Orkun Kokcu play?
The Dutch-born prospect is a central midfielder by trade who can operate as a number eight or in the hole behind the striker, whilst he has also been deployed out wide on both flanks.
He currently plays for Feyenoord in the Eredivisie in the Netherlands and has caught the eye with his performances for his club this season.
As such, Emery could land an upgrade on one of his current attacking midfield options – Emiliano Buendia – by sealing a deal to sign Kokcu in the summer transfer window.
The current Aston Villa playmaker has provided five goals and two assists – creating 1.1 chances per match – in 34 Premier League appearances this season and these statistics show that the ex-Norwich man has failed to consistently impact matches with meaningful attacking contributions.
Kokcu, meanwhile, has racked up eight goals and two assists – creating an eye-catching 2.8 chances per game – in 28 Eredivisie outings in 2022/23.
The 22-year-old, who is four years younger than Buendia, has created nine 'big chances' for his teammates and has only been rewarded with two assists, which suggests that the gem has been the victim of poor finishing from other players.
This comes after the midfield general scored seven goals and provided nine assists in the Dutch top-flight last term, indicating that the youngster has proven his quality in possession for Feyenoord over a significant period of time.
Kokcu, who has been described as a "true leader" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, could come in and offer more to Villa than Buendia due to his ability to combine being a regular goalscorer with consistent chance creation from both a central and attacking midfield position.
The Turk would need to adapt to playing in the Premier League and, therefore, it would be a gamble from Villa in the hope that he can translate his form for Feyenoord over to English football.
His statistics suggest that it is a gamble worth taking, however, as Kokcu has the potential to be an upgrade on Buendia and, in turn, improve Emery's squad next season.