Aston Villa are in pole position to bring Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kokcu to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Kokcu to Aston Villa?

The Turkish international is an academy graduate of the Eredivisie side having worked his way up through the youth ranks to become a regular feature of Arne Slot’s first-team, making 171 senior appearances to date, not to mention that he’s also the club captain.

The Rotterdam-based skipper’s contract isn’t set to expire for another two years, but being his outfit’s overall best-performing player with a match rating of 7.36, his performances have attracted the attention of Unai Emery.

De Telegraaf report that the Midlands outfit, alongside top-flight rivals Newcastle United and Crystal Palace, have all sent scouts to watch the 22-year-old in action as they weigh up whether to make an official approach, and it sounds like the former are well-placed to win the battle.

According to The Mirror, Aston Villa are “among the favourites” and “leading” the race to sign Kokcu ahead of the 2023/24 season. The Feyenoord talisman is “being chased” by six clubs in the Premier League and he’s also gaining interest from unnamed teams in Portugal, Italy and Spain, but an offer is under “strong consideration” by Emery.

The Netherlands-born talent’s desire to participate in European football is “high on his list of priorities”, and it’s stated that Villa’s new-found form under the Spanish manager is “catching his eye”. Feyenoord “want to keep” their star player, but they know that any kind of bid in the region of £40m will “force their hand” into sanctioning his sale this summer.

Would Kokcu be a good signing for Aston Villa?

Kokcu has been dubbed a true “leader” of Feyenoord by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and with the dangerous threat that he provides in the final third, the central midfielder would be a fantastic acquisition for Emery at Villa Park.

The Haarlem native, who has the ability to play with both feet, has clocked up 17 goal contributions (12 goals and five assists) in 42 appearances across all competitions so far this season, but even if he’s not always on the scoresheet, he’s constantly looking to produce moments of magic.

As per FBRef, Kokcu has recorded 176 shot-creating actions and 134 crosses since the start of the current term which is higher than any of his fellow teammates, so for a player who could add this consistent danger to the boss’ side, he’d be a quality signing for Villa.