This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly named their price for Harry Kane amid interest from Real Madrid, per El Desmarque.
What’s the word?
The Spanish outlet reports that the two clubs are in “advanced” talks over the signing of the England international.
Indeed, they even claim that Spurs have told Real that they will accept €120m (£102.8m) plus Karim Benzema in a swap deal.
However, president Florentino Perez is said to believe that the asking price is too high, while Spurs do not intend to match Benzema’s salary demands.
Absolute nonsense
Let’s get this out of the way: This is nonsensical.
Benzema is a superb striker and he has scored goals throughout his career, netting 233 in 480 games for Los Blancos, but he is also 31 and approaching his twilight years.
Kane is 26 and nearing his prime, plus he continues to score goals at club level. He has 10 in 15 outings already this season and 174 in total for Spurs.
And it’s impossible to imagine the club allowing him to head to the Bernabeu at a discounted rate in exchange for a veteran striker.
Kane is on a long-term contract and is tied to the north Londoners until 2024.
Spurs would surely be demanding more than £102.8m for a player who won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup, such is the inflated nature of the transfer market.
The figures in this report simply do not make any sense. Transfermarkt value him at £135m and even that seems on the modest side considering Kane is perhaps the best centre-forward of his age group in the world.
The report claims that Perez will continue to negotiate until the summer; he shouldn’t be getting very far.
Arsenal were denied a famous victory at The Etihad on Sunday as John Stones struck in the 98th minute to secure a 2-2 draw for Manchester City. There was a full Gunners debut for Riccardo Calafiori at left-back and it was a mixed evening for the Italy international, who arrived from Bologna in the summer.
Savinho beat him with ease on the half-turn to set up Erling Haaland for the opener but he reacted to that by scoring a stunning goal from distance to level the game at 1-1.
Calafiori started due to a slight injury concern with Ben White, who then came on at half-time, and the England international is not the only player Mikel Arteta may be worried about.
Latest Arsenal injury news
After the 2-2 draw with City, the Spanish head coach revealed that his coaching staff did not want the versatile English defender to feature at The Etihad, but they turned to him at the break after Leandro Trossard’s sending-off. White made it through to the end of the match without any major issues, fitness-wise, and Arsenal will now be hoping to have him fully fit for their next Premier League clash with Leicester City.
However, the Gunners may have a new injury concern to be worried about after goalkeeper David Raya was spotted limping with a bandage around his knee after the match.
The Spaniard has a wrapping around his right knee and was not walking comfortably, whilst declining to speak to reporters in the mixed zone. The former Brentford man did drop to the floor before a goal kick in the second half and needed treatment on the pitch, which gave Arteta a chance to speak with his players. Hopefully, the bandage was a precaution.
Losing David Raya would be a big blow
If Arsenal do end up being without Raya for any period of time, it would be a blow for the Premier League giants as he has been in fantastic form this season.
The 29-year-old stopper made a whopping nine saves in the 2-2 draw with City and came into that game off the back of an extraordinary double save against Atalanta in the Champions League.
He has kept three clean sheets and prevented 1.36 xG in five appearances in the Premier League so far this season, whilst his ability to claim crosses has also been extremely valuable for Arsenal.
Goals against per 90
0.76
Top 1%
Clean sheet percentage
48.9%
Top 1%
Percentage of crosses stopped
12.1%
Top 1%
Average distance of defensive actions
16.9 yards
Top 8%
As you can see in the table above, Raya ranks incredibly highly against his positional peers in the top leagues across Europe in a number of key statistics, including claiming crosses. The Spaniard is quick off his line to sweep up danger, whether that is from through balls to crosses, to take some of the pressure off William Saliba and Gabriel.
Therefore, losing a player of his immense quality, as a shot-stopper and a dominant force in the box, would be a blow for Arteta and his defence.
Fewer touches than Raya: Arteta must drop 3/10 Arsenal star after Man City
Not everyone in red and white was up to the task against Manchester City.
Everton have got off to a terrible start this campaign, only picking up one point in their opening five Premier League games, losing their first four before drawing 1-1 with Leicester City last weekend.
This leaves the Toffees 19th in the Premier League, and therefore, Sean Dyche could find himself in a spot of bother, with incoming owner Dan Friedkin already looking at alternatives. Everton face Crystal Palace at Goodison Park this weekend, and another loss could spell the end for Dyche.
Everton manager Sean Dyche
Everton have conceded 14 goals this season, only scoring five in their opening five fixtures, but one name in imparticular on their shortlist has Premier League experience, and could really turn things around for the Toffees.
Everton searching for Dyche alternatives
According to GIVEMESPORT, Graham Potter is one of the main names being ‘discussed’ by Friedkin if Everton are to part ways with Dyche.
Potter has managed Brighton and Chelsea before in the Premier League and could help change and establish a new identity at the Merseyside club.
Praised as being “fantastic” for his job at Brighton by Wolves boss Gary O’Neil in the past, Potter’s success with the Seagulls earned him a big move to Chelsea back in 2022. The Englishman took charge of 31 games for the Blues, winning 12, drawing eight, and losing 11, averaging 1.42 points per match.
Potter suffered from Chelsea going through a big overhaul at the time, with new owners, lots of players both joining and leaving the club and many instances both on and off the field for him to deal with.
However, by stepping back into management at Everton, he could help steer them away from relegation, improving their terrible possession average, and giving them a new identity.
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Potter to revitalise Calvert-Lewin
Everton have struggled to create xG this season, only generating 6.29 over their five games so far this season – the fourth lowest in the league).
Their direct approach under Dyche is not allowing them to create high-value chances, and score enough goals to win games, especially with their leaky defensive record.
Graham Potter as Chelsea manager
Potter has always had teams that generate decent xG values, with his Brighton side creating 49.57 xG in their 2021/22 campaign, and his Chelsea side generating 51.89 xG in 2022/23.
An improvement in xG creation, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s main responsibility being to finish chances in the box, and make life tough for defenders in the penalty area, could see him revive his best numbers, which Everton fans haven’t seen since 2020/21.
17/18
8
5
18/19
8
3
19/20
15
1
20/21
21
3
21/22
5
2
22/23
2
1
23/24
8
3
In the 2019/20 season, when Calvert-Lewin scored 15 goals – 13 coming in the Premier League – Everton generated 53.71 xG, giving the Toffees’ star forward more chances in and around the box to finish off attack, and put the ball in the back of the net.
In comparison, during the 2021/22 season, Everton only generated 44.47 xG in the league, with Calvert-Lewin only managing five goals.
This then led to his worst season, despite Everton generating better xG numbers with 48.65 xG, his confidence was low, injuries were hampering him, and the striker was missing his clinical nature in the box.
However, as Calvert-Lewin is starting to find his mojo in the penalty area again, and will have confidence in his finishing ability, having scored two goals already this season with only 6.29 xG generated by the team, adding Potter who could help Everton keep more of the ball, and create higher value chances.
In turn, this could allow the attacker to explode again with another 15 + goal term, potentially firing Everton away from the relegation zone.
DCL would love him: Friedkin considering amazing Dyche successor at Everton
He could bring the best out of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Everton’s transfer dealings over the years have been questionable to say the least, with their reckless approach undoubtedly contributing to their eight-point deduction last season.
The Toffees were hit with various deductions after breaching the Premier League’s PSR rules, after exceeding the permitted £105m losses over a three-year period.
The combined £47m spent on midfielders Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin proved to be awful dealings, with the pair struggling with injuries during their respective periods at Goodison Park, before both departing the club on free transfers.
Yerry Mina is another example, costing the Toffees £27m back in the summer of 2018, making just under 100 appearances for the club, but also providing no resale value on his big-money transfer.
However, another player in recent times has proven to be a dreadful addition, with his antics off the field tarnishing any relationship he could’ve had with the Everton faithful.
Neal Maupay’s time at Everton
During the summer of 2022, Everton made a surprise move to sign striker Neal Maupay from Brighton, forking out £15m for his services.
everton-neal-maupay-premier-league-fulham
At the time, it seemed like a fair price for a player of Maupay’s Premier League experience, but his move to Merseyside proved to be a disaster for both parties.
The Frenchman only registered one goal in his 32 appearances during the 2022/23 campaign – a disappointing return given the fee paid for his signature.
He subsequently spent last season on loan at former side Brentford, scoring six times in the league for Thomas Frank’s side, returning to Goodison for pre-season this summer.
However, he was subject to abuse by supporters after the 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur earlier this season, with the striker speaking out about the incident on social media.
The confrontation would spell the end of his time at the club, moving to Ligue 1 side Marseille during the recent transfer window on loan with an obligation to buy next summer.
On the whole, the move was another example of the club’s poor dealings in the market, but, it gets even worse when the club made the move for the striker over a player who’s taken the Premier League by storm.
The man who Everton missed out on to sign Maupay
Winger Mohammed Kudus joined West Ham United back in the summer of 2023 for a fee in the region of £38m from Eredivisie side Ajax.
West Ham United winger Mohammed Kudus
Since his move to the Premier League, the Ghanaian has thrived, registering 21 goal contributions in all competitions, helping the Hammers cement a top-half finish last season.
Mohammed Kudus
14
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
10
Abdoulaye Doucoure
8
Beto
6
Dwight McNeil
5
Jack Harrison
4
As a result of his excellent form at the London Stadium, the 24-year-old has seen his valuation skyrocket, with Kudus described as a “£100m player” by former coach Jeremy Seethal, having also been the subject of interest from Liverpool over the summer.
His move to join the Hammers will be a huge kick in the teeth for Everton, especially considering the Toffees were actually close to signing the attacker during the same summer they pursued a move for Maupay, only for the deal to collapse at the eleventh hour.
Mohammed Kudus for West Ham
Speaking with a Dutch outlet whilst still at Ajax, Kudus confirmed that he wanted a move to Merseyside to gain valuable game time in his career, but that a move never materialised in the end, with former boss Frank Lampard missing out on the addition of a now proven player in England’s top flight.
The club will undoubtedly be kicking themselves that they couldn’t secure a deal for the winger’s services – especially considering his rapid development at West Ham – with Football Insider reporting earlier this year that a deal would have been done had the Toffees’ finances been ‘healthy’.
As for Maupay, the move was a disaster with his transfer fee just one reason as to why the club were docked last season, making the right call in allowing him to depart Goodison this season.
Their goalscoring woes of recent times would’ve been non-existent had they won the race for Kudus’ signature, however, he will always remain one that got away for the Toffees.
Everton struck gold on Lampard's free transfer who's now worth £17m
The former manager didn’t inspire the club on the pitch, yet he made some decent signings…
Last summer, Glasgow Rangers swooped to sign Millwall starlet Zak Lovelace as Giovanni van Bronckhorst looked like he was focusing on youth talent in order to fill out the academy squads and ensuring the Ibrox side had a plethora of teen gems ready to be plucked from the B side when ready over the coming years.
Lovelace made his Millwall debut aged just 15, becoming the second-youngest player to represent the club in their history during a substitute appearance against Coventry City in December 2021 and made another four appearances for the club, which prompted the Gers to make their move once the season finished.
It was a successful 2022/23 season for the 17-year-old, with the added pressure of trying to make an impression in the B team, he scored 18 goals in all competitions while grabbing another ten assists and was even given his first team bow against Queen of the South in August during a League Cup tie.
His performances obviously impressed Michael Beale, as he was given a two minute cameo against Celtic during their excellent 3-0 win in May and the future looks bright for the England U17 international.
With Beale clearly trying to lower the age of the Rangers side, releasing players such as Scott Arfield (34), Allan McGregor (41) and Filip Helander (30) upon the expiration of their contracts, a focus on youth could pay dividends over the next few years.
With this in mind, the Light Blues have been linked with a move for former West Ham United starlet Divine Mukasa according to the Secret Scout, who claims that the youngster has “visited Rangers and Newcastle United” after he left the London side recently.
He confirmed via Instagram he was departing and posted a heartfelt message, saying: “Thank you to all the players and staff at West Ham that have helped to develop me into both the player and person that I am today.
“This club has been my home for the past 10 years and for it to come to an end is bittersweet, but it’s time to move on to the next chapter of my career.”
Who is Divine Mukasa?
The 15-year-old midfielder would be hoping to follow in the same trajectory as Lovelace by moving to Rangers at such a young age, yet he does have pedigree at U16 level, especially for his country.
He has made nine appearances for the England U16 side, scoring three goals, and grabbing one assist during those matches, netting against Scotland, and he certainly showcased his attacking abilities by being deployed just behind the striker.
Zak Lovelace
It’s evident he has a keen eye for goal, and he even managed to register two goal contributions during the U18 Premier League last term, playing against players two years older and this maturity has could entice Beale into luring him to Rangers.
The Ibrox side are trying to add some of the finest talents from South of the border to their academy and by convincing Mukasa that a move to Scotland would be the best for his development, Beale could repeat Rangers’ Lovelace masterclass from 2022.
Sheffield United don't want to lose "one of their most important players" in Sander Berge, but "issues around finances" at the club could force their hand, believes transfer insider Dean Jones.
Sheffield United transfer news – what's the latest on Sander Berge?
Berge made his way to English football in January 2020 when he signed for the South Yorkshire outfit for just £22m from Belgian Pro League side K.R.C.Genk.
Since then, he has gone on to make 109 appearances for the Blades, scoring 15 goals and providing the assist for another 12.
He was an instrumental part of the team that won promotion back to the Premier League last season, having almost been sold in January due to the club's financial situation.
Despite keeping hold of him, it looks like the club might once again be on the verge of selling the player as Football Insider reported that the club would accept an offer of just £10m for one of their star men.
What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about Sander Berge?
Jones was quick to stress that should the player leave Sheffield in the summer, it wouldn't be down to footballing reasons, with any decision to let him go being purely financial.
Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "He got plenty of starts last season for Sheffield United he is one of their most important players. I don't think they particularly want to lose him. I think they have just got issues around finances at the moment at Sheffield United that's holding them back a little bit."
How good is Sander Berge?
The Norwegian "Rolls-Royce", as hailed by teammate Chris Basham had a great season last year in Sheffield's famous red and white.
According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old averaged a brilliant rating of 6.95 across his 37 appearances in the Championship, scoring six goals and assisting a further five.
Soccer Football – Championship – Hull City v Sheffield United – MKM Stadium, Hull, Britain – September 4, 2022 Sheffield United’s Sander Berg in action with Hull City’s Regan Slater Action Images/Lee Smith EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representativ
In fact, since his arrival in England, he has yet to average a rating lower than 6.43 across his four league campaigns.
His underlying numbers look great as well.
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across football's next eight best competitions after the top five leagues, Berge is in the top 3% for progressive carries, the top 5% for touches in the oppositions penalty area and the top 9% for non-penalty goals, all per 90.
If Sheffield United can find a way to keep hold of their talismanic Norwegian for their first season back in the Premier League in two years, they will be so much better for it.
Newcastle United's transfer business is slowly starting to come together ahead of their first foray into the Champions League group stage in some two decades.
Sandro Tonali's imminent arrival from AC Milan is dominating headlines, while another move for a somewhat lower-profile player – albeit potentially just as exciting if the past is anything to go by – also looks set to go through.
Are Newcastle United interested in signing Tino Livramento?
According to Sky Sports' Keith Downie and Pete Graves, Newcastle are in talks with recently relegated Southampton to sign right-back Tino Livramento in a £15m deal.
The Telegraph have claimed the Saints want close to double that amount, but Newcastle could offer out-of-favour Ryan Fraser to help push through the transfer.
Landing a player as highly rated as Livramento for what is a bargain fee in the current market would be considered a coup of sorts for Newcastle, who are eager to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.
What can Tino Livramento offer Newcastle United?
Livramento is coming off the back of a hugely frustrating campaign in which he made just two Premier League appearances, totalling 26 minutes, owing to a long-term injury lay-off.
However, after coming off the substitutes' bench in Southampton's final two games, the 20-year-old will have a chance to get back to full fitness across pre-season in time to hit the ground running in 2023-24.
Soccer Football – Premier League – Southampton v Manchester United – St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, Britain – August 22, 2021 Southampton’s Tino Livramento in action with Manchester United’s Fred REUTERS/Peter Nicholls EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account r
The Chelsea academy player, who many were surprised to see leave for Southampton two years ago, showed enough in his debut top-flight campaign to suggest he can more than provide competition for Kieran Trippier next season.
Livramento, although described as "top-class" by scout Jacek Kulig, does not have as much of an end product as Trippier – he was directly involved in just two league goals in 32 appearances in 2021-22, compared to ten for the latter – but that will likely come with age.
Besides, there are plenty of other similarities, such as the pair finding the target from a similar number of shots (25% for Livramento v 23.5% for Trippier), their pass-completion percentage (74.1 v 71.6), and the number of tackles they win (1.19 v 1.32), as per FBref.
Newcastle supporters will also need no reminding that one of their greatest-ever players – arguably second only to Alan Shearer – also moved from Southampton to St James' Park over 40 years ago.
Indeed, a certain Kevin Keegan was at a far more advanced stage of his career at that point, and had already landed a couple of Ballon d'Or titles, but the omens are certainly positive from Newcastle's perspective when choosing to invest from the Saints.
It was always Keegan's plan to play for Newcastle one day, which while that may not exactly be the case for Livramento, it will certainly provide the youngster with a huge platform to properly establish himself in the top flight.
'King Kev' scored 48 goals in 78 appearances for Newcastle and would of course later return for two spells as manager – the first stint more memorable than the second.
There is also the Shearer link, with the club's all-time leading scorer – now immortalised with a statue outside the ground – also having played for Southampton before joining Newcastle further down the line.
That is not to say Livramento is on his way to becoming one of Newcastle's all-time greats, but the Magpies have certainly had success signing players with Southampton roots in the past.
In Livramento, they have a player who looks every inch a modern-day full-back, one who is capable of initially challenging and filling in for the overused Trippier, before becoming a regular down the right for years to come.
Described as a "really talented player" by Southampton colleague Kyle Walker-Peters, it is now over to England U21 international Livramento to write his own passage in Newcastle folklore.
Fulham are interested in signing Fiorentina centre-back Julio Igor this summer, according to Viola News…
Fulham transfer news – Are the Cottagers signing Julio Igor?
Recently, Italian reporter Rudy Galetti revealed that Fulham were ready to open talks for Igor, who would cost in the region of €15m (£13m) this summer, according to Viola News.
The defender's agent is looking for a new club for his client this summer telling the same outlet: "I spoke with Fiorentina about Igor's future and the will is to leave in the summer. Even the purple club agrees. So far we have not yet received any official offer, but we are looking around."
After such a successful first season back in the Premier League, it looks as though Fulham are keen to improve even further and maintain their spot in the top half of England's top flight.
What role would Julio Igor play at Fulham?
Cremonese's Felix Afena-Gyan in action with Fiorentina's Igor
Breaking into the current Fulham side would not be easy for Igor, who would likely have to work his way into Marco Silva's plans throughout the season.
One player that Igor should look to for inspiration if he does make the move is Tim Ream, however, with FBref marking the Fiorentina man as a comparable player to the Cottagers titan.
The American has gradually become one of the most important players at Craven Cottage, making 33 appearances in the Premier League last season.
Igor meanwhile, enjoyed a mixed season at Fiorentina, making 42 appearances in all competitions and suffering the heartbreak of defeat in the final of the Europa Conference League against West Ham United in what could be his final appearance for La Viola.
Statistically speaking, Ream and the Brazilian share some clear similarities that Silva will be keen to draw on when outlining the reasons for the defender's potential arrival.
According to FBref, Ream only completed 0.7 more passes per-90 than Igor last season. Meanwhile, the Fiorentina defender maintained a better pass completion rate than the veteran.
Such is the need to progress from the back under Silva at the London club in certain games, possession the skill to play in such a way is crucial for every defender at the club.
Igor is also more aggressive off the ball than Ream, perhaps partly to do with the former being younger than the 34-year-old Fulham man.
Also per FBref, the 25-year-old colossus made more tackles and blocks per 90 when compared to Ream, yet was also more rash than his experienced fellow defender, making 0.9 errors leading to shots, compared to Reams's 0.6 per 90.
Taking to Twitter to praise Igor, journalist Alvaro Canibe said:
"This couple is crazy. The security and reliability that Milenkovic and Igor bring to Fiorentina is incredible. The level they are at has a lot of merit."
With Ream not getting any younger, now could be the time for Silva to welcome his replacement.
Such decisions can make or break a side's season, and letting a player of Igor's potential learn from Ream's experience could be the key to ensuring yet another impressive campaign in the Premier League.
The Brazilian has the ability to make the step to England's top flight, that's for sure, given the evidence above.
Hibernian boss Lee Johnson will be desperate to improve on their disappointing fifth-placed finish last season, with Aberdeen and arch-rivals Hearts finishing above them in the table.
The club enter the Europa Conference League at the second qualifying round following Celtic’s victory in the Scottish Cup and with the first leg due to take place on 27 July, Johnson doesn’t have long to assemble a squad good enough to progress through to the group stages and the financial rewards that come with it.
The main issue for the manager is adding some quality defenders to his squad, with Paul Hanlon and Rocky Bushiri the only recognised centre-backs at the moment.
Johnson has admitted that he wants to secure new loan deals for duo Will Fish and CJ Egan-Riley, who spent time north of the border in temporary moves from Manchester United and Burnley respectively and the signing of Fish, in particular, could certainly help the 42-year-old solve his defensive crisis.
Could Hibs sign Will Fish this summer?
Another loan move is certainly possible, especially considering the impact he made having joined in the summer of 2022.
The Englishman has featured 59 times for both the U18 and U21 sides at United, while even making his first team debut in the Premier League back in 2020/21, underlining his vast potential.
Gaining regular senior experience was vital for his development, thus a move to Hibs would prove to be a wise choice, with his performances pleasing Johnson, who waxed lyrical about the 20-year-old.
He told BBC Sportsound (via Football Scotland): "He's been fantastic. I've said before if you could build a centre half, you'd build Will Fish. He's a great student and a great lad and he's had to up his gravitas levels for this league and his on-pitch personalities.
"He's a lad that had never played a league game so far in his career. He went to Stockport last year and hardly played a game so it's a big step for him and one that he has really taken to well.
"He's trusted by the boys, trusted by the staff and it's a great sign."
High praise indeed and over 21 games in all competitions, he scored three times while across the whole squad, he ranked fifth for overall rating via Sofascore.
He also impressively sat fourth for interceptions per game and first for clearances per game, clearly proving how effective he was defensively and that he had a positive influence on the team.
Another temporary move would be a no-brainer, especially with European competition on the horizon and Fish could play another key role for Hibs during 2023/24 if he moved to the Easter Road outfit.
Liverpool will face competition from Portuguese giants Benfica as Reds manager Jurgen Klopp seeks a deal for Feyenoord captain Orkun Kokcu this summer.
What's the latest on Orkun Kokcu to Liverpool?
That's according to a report from the Netherlands (as relayed by the Liverpool Echo), which claims that the recently-crowned Eredivisie champions' captain is attracting interest from multiple angles after a brilliant campaign.
Due to Premier League interest, Feyenoord are hoping for at least €40m (£34m) for their star midfielder, and while Benfica are pushing hard to land the Turkish ace, the allure of Jurgen Klopp's outfit could swing the odds in his favour.
Earlier this year, former Liverpool gem Dirk Kuyt stated his desire to see the Anfield side make their move for the 22-year-old, which could be realised this summer as the Reds look to replace departees James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Should Liverpool sign Orkun Kokcu?
It's fair to say that it's not been a bad season for Kokcu, who scored 12 goals and served five more from 46 appearances across all competitions en route to divisional glory in the Netherlands, ending Ajax's five-year dominance.
Dubbed a "true leader" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Feyenoord captain offers an impressive goalscoring prowess to complement a dynamic slant to his midfield play – two elements that could prove enticing to Klopp considering Harvey Elliott's five-goal haul was the highest of any Liverpool midfielder this term.
Klopp's team tends not to find prolific success from the centre, instead relying on the marauding creativity of full-backs Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold while harnessing the blistering frontal potency of the likes of Mohamed Salah and co.
But the season gone past illustrates the need for change after the Reds fell by the wayside and failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons, and Kokcu could change that.
As per Sofascore, he recorded a stunning average match rating of 7.48 in Eredivisie this term, complementing his direct contributions by completing 85% of his passes, making 2.8 key passes and 1.2 tackles per game, and succeeding with 58% of his attempted dribbles.
Truly an all-encompassing midfielder, burgeoning and yet to channel the full scope of his potential, much like Nice machine Khephren Thuram, who could yet forge a deadly midfield alliance with the 20-cap Turkey international on Merseyside having received reliable and heavy links with a move to Klopp's team.
With holding midfielder Fabinho likely to retain his spot in Klopp's system despite a campaign where he flattered to deceive, the more progression-centric duo could wreak havoc behind Liverpool's frontline, with Kokcu, who ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Men's Next 8 divisions, as per FBref, for both shot-creating actions and progressive passes per 90, achieving a state of confluence with his "tenacious" – as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – prospective teammate.
Thuram has been regarded as "dangerous" and "powerful" by club peer Aaron Ramsey, and himself ranks among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90.
The state of confluence that Liverpool might craft with a deal for both of these exciting dynamos could be the perfect remedy for the seasonal strife, and it must be enacted by new technical director Jorg Schmadtke to ensure that the desired ascent takes the Reds right back to the top.