Manchester United scout Feyenoord pair in chaotic KNVB Cup clash with Ajax – Man United News And Transfer News

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Manchester United sent scouts to watch Feyenoord in their KNBV cup semifinal against Ajax on Wednesday, with Orkun Kokcu and Santiago Gimenez the subjects of interest.

That is according to The Mirror, who claim that the Red Devils were among a number of Premier League clubs to send scouts to Rotterdam.

Tottenham, Brighton, Leicester, West Ham, and Brentford were all in attendance as Ajax secured a 2-1 win to progress to the KNVB Cup final.

Kokcu and Gimenez both impressed, however, with the Feyenoord pair making their mark felt in the game.

Gimenez scored on the stroke of half time to equalise and arguably should have scored another, having struck the post in the first half.

Kokcu, meanwhile, was the creative hub of his team, making five key passes and putting in a captain’s display as he covered every blade of grass.

The match was mired by fan unrest, however, with kick off forced into a five-minute delay following heavy black smoke from fireworks in the stands.

After Ajax’s opening goal 14 minute in, an object thrown from the stands struck Davvy Klaasen, drawing blood and leading to a thirty-minute stoppage while the stewards sought to maintain control of the crowd.

While those incidents overshadowed what was a thrilling contest, Man United scouts will no doubt have gone away impressed by the Feyenoord pair.

Kokcu, captaining his side at just 23 years of age, is very much of the mould of a playmaking midfielder, and a player Erik ten Hag would surely enjoy working with at Old Trafford.

He ranks among the best players outside of the traditional ‘Big 5’ European leagues in key metrics such as progressive passes, progressive carries, and shot-creating action per 90 minutes, and could be available for £31m in the summer.

Gimemez, meanwhile, is a well-rounded centre forward with speed to match his strength. He only became a regular starter for Feyenoord after the World Cup, but already has 23 goals to his name in all competitions this term. At a bargain price of £18m, he could also prove to be a creative solution to a long standing problem in the United squad.

With the Manchester United squad in need of reinforcement in midfield and attack this summer, the pair could prove to be excellent business should the club follow up on their interest.

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