In a recent tweet, renowned journalist Chris Williams has claimed that Liverpool have made contact with regards to a move for Schalke 04 defender Ozan Kabak. It is understood that an offer of around €25m could be enough for the Reds to persuade the German outfit to part ways with their prized asset during this summer transfer period.
Kabak’s Recent Emergence In German Football
The Ankara-born talent had a nightmare game against Bayern Munich recently when he conceded eight goals at the Allianz Arena. Despite that setback, Kabak deserves credit for finding a run of consistency with his defensive contributions in the previous campaign.
The 20-year-old made 28 appearances for the Gelsenkirchen club last season, registering three goals, one assist and four yellow cards across all competitions. The Turkish defensive ace gave a good account of himself at the heart of David Wagner’s defence as he averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 3.6 clearances and 0.8 dribbles per 90 minutes in the 2019-20 Bundesliga campaign. He even distributed possession relatively well when playing his way out from the back as evident by his pass success rate of 81.5% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
The promising centre-back has got the potential to make himself a world-class player in his position someday. Thus, he could be tempted to work for a renowned man-manager like Jurgen Klopp if the Reds decide to launch a concrete offer for him in the next couple of weeks before the transfer window slams shut in October.
What Will The Turkish Starlet Bring To The Table?
Standing at 1.86m, Kabak has made a habit of utilising his strong frame to get the better of the opposition in the air which explains how he makes so many important clearances at the back for his team. He has a great leap in him and can be a potent goal-threat from offensive set-pieces.
The two-time Turkish international is also good at reading the danger quickly and can make some decent tackles to secure the ball back for his side. He has often been used as a centre-half of late but can also fill in as a defensive midfielder if required.
Will Recruiting Kabak Be A Wise Move For The Reds?
Kabak’s versatility, coupled with his aerial prowess, make him a formidable target for the Merseyside giants to consider heading into the last couple of weeks of this transfer window. If Jurgen Klopp believes that he can get the best out of the young defender at Melwood in the coming years, then it makes a lot of sense for the German manager to engineer a move to land him this summer.
The Reds parted ways with Dejan Lovren earlier this summer and has currently got three senior centre-backs in their squad in the form of Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip. Liverpool would now have to decide on whether to stick with Fabinho, who can operate as a fourth-choice centre-half if needed, or bring in someone like Kabak to bolster their defensive ranks for this new campaign. Either way, signing a defender of Kabak’s potential will be a wise move for the champions of England if they can end up getting the deal over the line for him in the future.
