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Former Netherlands international Wim Kieft has advised Orkun Kokcu on his future amidst interest from Manchester United and Brighton and Hove Albion.
As reported by The Peoples Person earlier in the week, the Red Devils are keeping tabs on the Feyenoord captain.
The Turkish midfielder is the right profile to come in and offer Erik ten Hag a creative option in his engine room and looks ready to step up from the Eredivisie.
Brighton have also been tracking the player over the last few month, according to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf.
And Kieft believes that Kokcu now has an important decision to make regarding what could be the defining move of his career.
Speaking ahead of Feyenoord’s 1-0 over AS Roma in their UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg win yesterday, Kieft said, “I think United is still a bit too ambitious at this stage of his career.
“Of course, you don’t say no to Manchester United, but I would rather he go to a club like Brighton.”
A step from Feyenoord to Brighton may seem a measured step, but given the player is likely to command a transfer fee in the region of €40m to €45m, Kokcu may find it difficult to move any higher up the ladder should he move to England’s south coast.
The Seagulls typically extract maximum profit from their players, and it is anyone’s guess what kind of fee Brighton would expect for someone they invested so much money in.
Their current transfer record stands at the €23m they paid for Enock Mwepu from RB Salzburg in 2021.
Meanwhile Erik ten Hag is enjoying success with his signings directly from the Eredivisie, having secured Antony, Lisandro Martinez, and Tyrell Malacia during his first transfer window.
Manchester United my well look to continue their positive trajectory by going or Netherlands-based players again in the summer, and Orkun Kokcu is undoubtedly among the best in that category.
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