‘Best coach in the world’ – Liverpool target hails Arne Slot
‘Best coach in the world’ – Liverpool target hails Arne Slot. Benfica and Turkish midfielder Orkun Kokcu has dubbed Liverpool’s head coach Arne Slot as the “best coach in the world” amid reports of the Merseyside giants interested in reuniting him with the Dutchman at Anfield.
Kokcu joined Feyenoord’s academy in 2014 and blossomed into a star under Slot’s leadership, who did made the Turkish midfielder his captain before seeing him depart to Benfica for a fee of around €30m in 2023.
Slot moved on to Liverpool 12 months later and is believed to be keen to bolster his midfield options, with numerous reports from Portugal naming Kokcu as a significant target, although a rumoured asking price of €80m has so far proven problematic.
Kokcu did not hide his admiration for Slot in a recent interview with TRT Spor, citing he would not be the player he is today, without the Dutchman.
“Arne Slot is like my father, he made me who I am,” Kokcu said.
“I think he is the best coach in the world. Tactically, in terms of communication…he is the best.
“When he took charge of Feyenoord, I saw a big boost in my performance in the first season. That year, we reached the Conference League final, but unfortunately we lost. So I think the performance was very good.
“I wanted to be transferred in the summer [of 2022] and some of the big clubs in the top six in England were interested in me. We had serious talks about the transfer, but at the last minute it didn’t happen. The following season, Arne Slot made me team captain and the responsibility increased my performance even more.”
Liverpool continued to be linked with a number of midfielders, including Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, while reports also suggest they are looking to bolster further forwards amid uncertainty over the future of star player, Mohamed Salah.
