MX23RW : Sunday, December 22 21:47:46| >> :120:7788:7788:

Manchester United 'send scouts to watch Feyenoord duo'

Man United 'send scouts to watch Feyenoord duo'
© Reuters
Manchester United send scouts to keep an eye on Feyenoord duo Orkun Kokcu and Santiago Gimenez, according to a report.

Manchester United are reportedly one of a number of teams to have sent scouts to keep an eye on Feyenoord duo Orkun Kokcu and Santiago Gimenez.

Last year's Europa Conference League runners-up are in the driving seat for the Eredivisie title approaching the final few weeks of the season, sitting five points clear of PSV Eindhoven in first place with a game in hand.

Arne Slot's men defeated Ajax 3-2 in De Klassieker just before the international break, but the Amsterdam outfit gleaned revenge with a 2-1 win during Wednesday's KNVB Beker semi-final.

In a chaotic contest that had to be stopped twice due to crowd disorder, Man United were one of several clubs with representatives in attendance, according to The Mirror.

The Red Devils were supposedly monitoring the progress of Turkey midfielder Kokcu and Mexico striker Gimenez, both of whom played the full 90 minutes of that semi-final defeat.

Feyenoord's Orkun Kokcu pictured in November 2020© Reuters

Kokcu joined the Feyenoord academy in 2014, and he was made captain of the Dutch title contenders for the 2022-23 season following the departure of Jens Toornstra, despite being just 22 years of age.

The 2000-born midfielder has shone with the armband during the current campaign, scoring 12 goals and providing three assists in 37 matches across all tournaments from the middle of the park.

Kokcu's efforts have helped the Rotterdam club to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League, where they will take on Roma, who beat them in last year's Europa Conference League final.

The Turkey international - who was previously strongly linked with Arsenal - has totalled 32 goals and 25 assists in 166 outings for Feyenoord, who have him under contract for another two years.

However, Benfica are already thought to be readying a £31m approach for Kokcu as a replacement for Enzo Fernandez, who joined Chelsea for a nine-figure sum in January after a protracted period of negotiations.

Santiago Gimenez celebrates scoring for Feyenoord on September 15, 2022© Reuters

Meanwhile, 21-year-old striker Gimenez left boyhood club CD Cruz Azul last summer to join Feyenoord, and he has hit the ground running in Europe with 17 goals from 36 matches in his debut campaign.

The Argentina-born forward - who represents Mexico at international level - has netted five goals in the current Europa League campaign, level with Union Saint-Gilloise's Victor Boniface and only behind Marcus Rashford's six.

Gimenez's contract with Feyenoord runs until the end of the 2025-26 campaign, but the Eredivisie leaders are supposedly prepared to accept a modest fee of £18m in the upcoming window, having paid just €4m (£3.5m) for his services last summer.

As well as Man United, Tottenham Hotspur are also said to have been watching the pair with eagle eyes, as were Brentford, West Ham United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester City.

Representatives from top European clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, Lyon, Wolfsburg, Sevilla, Atletico Madrid and Monaco also took their seats in the stands for Feyenoord's semi-final triumph.

ID:510979:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect6564:
Written by
Ben Knapton

Click here for more stories about Orkun Kokcu

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Julian Alvarez celebrates scoring for Manchester City on April 1, 2023
Read Next:
Saturday's Premier League predictions including Southampton vs. Man City
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
6pm
Lions
@
Bears
6pm
Browns
@
Bengals
6pm
Patriots
@
Bills
6pm
Titans
@
Colts
6pm
Giants
@
Falcons
6pm
Rams
@
Jets
6pm
Cardinals
@
Panthers
6pm
Eagles
@
Washington
9.05pm
Vikings
@
Seahawks
9.25pm
49ers
@
Dolphins
9.25pm
Jags
@
Raiders
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!