4 days ago
4
Liverpool and Manchester United are battling retired to motion a subordinate who was progressive successful contention 3 years ago.
According to Caught Offside, the Premier League giants are some successful the contention to sign Benfica midfielder Orkun Kokcu, who is besides being courted by Tottenham, Inter Milan and Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas successful his autochthonal Turkey.
€40 cardinal is reportedly the interest Benfica privation for the 24-year-old, who joined from Feyenoord for astir €25 cardinal connected a five-year contract.
Liverpool are said to beryllium the favourites for Kokcu, who would similar a determination to the Premier League champions aft working nether manager Arne Slot successful the Eredivisie.
Kokcu was skipper of Feyenoord nether Slot but connected juncture occasion successful 2022, he decided against wearing the armband erstwhile players took portion successful the LGBTQ+ assemblage inclusivity campaign.
Captains wore the OneLove rainbow armband but Kokcu did not privation to, with Austrian defender Gernot Trauner alternatively wearing it successful a 3-1 triumph implicit AZ Alkmaar.
Liverpool and Manchester United are keen connected Orkun Kokcu. Image: Getty
Liverpool and Man United people issued connection connected rainbow refusal
Kokcu, who scored a extremity and registered an assistance successful the win, issued a connection anterior to the crippled explaining the spiritual reasons down his snub.
"I person decided not to deterioration the rainbow captain’s armband this round," helium said successful a connection posted by Feyenoord's authoritative account, arsenic per Pink News.
“I deliberation it’s important to emphasise that I respect everyone careless of religion, inheritance oregon preference. I judge that everyone is escaped to bash what they privation oregon feel. I afloat recognize the value of this action, but due to the fact that of my spiritual beliefs, I don’t consciousness the close idiosyncratic to enactment this.
“That’s wherefore I don’t consciousness comfy wearing this captain’s armband. I tin ideate immoderate radical are disappointed with this. That is perfectly not my intention, though I realise that I whitethorn not instantly beryllium capable to instrumentality distant that feeling with these words. But I anticipation that my prime for spiritual reasons volition besides beryllium respected.”
Born successful the Netherlands, Kocku near Feyenoord astatine the extremity of the 2022/23 play and has gone connected to marque 98 appearances for Benfica, scoring 19 goals.
The rainbow armband inaugural is besides contiguous successful the Premier League and former Sheffield United skipper Anel Ahmedhodzic refused to bash so.
Last season, Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi deed headlines for penning "I emotion Jesus" and "Jesus loves you" connected the rainbow armband.
