Roma begins Kokcu talks after Abraham’s exit

Roma have opened negotiations with Benfica midfielder and Turkey international Orkun Kokcu after Tammy Abraham joined Besiktas on a loan deal.

This is part of the revamping being done by the Giallorossi as Gian Piero Gasperini, the new director of sport, begins his stint with the capital club.

The Turkish midfielder is the latest player to be linked with them this summer. The  24-year-old midfielder has been at Benfica since his €29.7m transfer from Feyenoord in 2023.

Kokcu, who decided to play his international football for Turkey, having played for the Dutch side up to Under-19 level, was part of the Benfica squad in the FIFA Club World Cup, where he contributed two assists in four games.

Reports from Italy say Kokcu is eager to move on from Benfica and is currently in negotiations with Roma over personal terms.

He was also linked with Atalanta in 2020 when he was at Feyenoord.

Meanwhile, Abraham has joined Turkish Super Lig giants Besiktas on loan with an option to buy provided certain mandatory conditions are met.

Both clubs have already confirmed the deal.  Although Abraham joined on an initial loan deal, the deal is expected to be permanent once the English striker gets some playing time.

Roma will be paid €2m for Abraham’s services for the 2025-26 season. 

Once the obligation to buy clause is triggered, they will receive an additional €13m paid in instalments until the year 2030. 

Abraham will earn €6m per annum in his first season, €6.5m in 2026/27, €7m from the summer of 2027 until the summer of 2029. 

The Englishman joined the Giallorossi in 2021, scoring 37 goals from 120 competitive appearances. He also scored 10 goals from 44 outings during his loan spell with Milan in 2024-25.