A couple of days ago, we covered claims which stated Newcastle United were considering making an offer to sign Orkun Kökçü from Benfica.
The 24-year-old moved to the Lisbon club last summer from Feyenoord and was considered a big investment for the Portuguese giants. At a cost of around €25m, plus a potential €5m in further bonus payments, the plan was he’d excel and could then be sold for a massive profit.
Whilst Orkun Kökçü certainly hasn’t been a flop at Benfica it’s become clear those dreams of big transfer business are unlikely to come true. On top of that, he managed to have a very public row with manager Bruno Lage at the Club World Cup, when he was brought off to allow a substitute to come on.
The row was considered so serious that transfer claims immediately started. That saw Newcastle United and others dragged into the picture.
Thursday’s edition of O Jogo reports Newcastle United and others have now walked away. That’s due to the player’s desire to sign for Beşiktaş.
Whether the Magpies were genuinely interested or just used as window dressing is questionable.