Jürgen Klopp secured the signature of Alexis Mac Allister earlier this month, with the World Cup winner arriving from Brighton and Hove Albion after experiencing an impressive campaign in the Premier League. The South American is just the beginning of what promises to be a real overhaul in the engine room this summer, but Liverpool seems reluctant to make its next move too hastily.
Right now, with further reinforcements required, Klopp appears to be carefully considering his next decision. The German coach must get things right this summer after finishing fifth in the Premier League last term, which perhaps explains why the Reds are behaving cautiously in the market.
However, such an approach can have a negative impact on transfer business, as Liverpool is destined to miss out on the players who are unwilling to wait around for an answer to their future. Orkun Kökçü might be one such example, as, according to Dutch website 1908.nl, Klopp asked the midfielder 'not to sign with Benfica' as he weighed up his options at Anfield. But the Turkish international decided against hanging about.
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Liverpool refrained from making an official bid for Kökçü, allowing the Feyenoord talisman to sign for the champions of Portugal last week while effectively replacing Enzo Fernández in the process, who left the Portuguese capital to join Chelsea in the January transfer window.
Kökçü was awarded Player of the Year in the Eredivisie for this season, painting himself as a very dynamic performer in Rotterdam and one who truly dominated his team. Feyenoord won the division — finishing seven points ahead of second-placed Ajax — and Kökçü was the standout performer under coach Arne Slot.
He has been involved in pretty much everything at the Philips Stadium over the past 12 months. Only one player in the Netherlands averaged more touches than him this season, and Kökçü also played more progressive passes than any of his peers in the Dutch top flight.
Moreover, he found the penalty box with passes more often than every player in the division except for Steven Berghuis, Dušan Tadić and Václav Černý. Kökçü also captained Feyenoord while taking control over set-pieces including corners, free kicks and penalties.
Aged just 22, he is a very mature and confident leader, and with Klopp losing James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keïta this summer, he could have been an ideal addition alongside Mac Allister as the type of player who appears more than ready to test himself at a higher level.
Liverpool has now missed the boat when it comes to Kökçü, but that cannot happen with any more serious targets. Klopp is right to be careful, especially considering the future make-up of his midfield department is unknown at present, but the Reds must move when the market opens up, and fast.
Khéphren Thuram could be the solution to missing out on Kökçü, and Ryan Gravenberch is another who has been linked, as well as Matheus Nunes, Manu Koné, Mason Mount and Gabri Veiga to name but a few. Liverpool still has plenty of solutions to explore, but with every passing week, the shortlist will continue to get even shorter.
