In a recent tweet, Italian journalist Rudy Galetti stated that Leicester City is on the verge of signing ex-Liverpool and current Schalke defender Ozan Kabak this summer. It is understood that the Foxes have agreed on a fee of around £8m to bring the Turkish centre-back to the King Power Stadium before the start of the new campaign.
🚨✅ Negotiations at final stage beetween #Leicester and #Schalke04 for Ozan #Kabak 🇹🇷. #Foxes official bid (around £8) has been accepted: the final details are being discussed before the medical are scheduled. 🩺🐓⚽ #Calciomercato #Transfers #EPL #Bundesliga https://t.co/UJXHvYXjgQ
— Rudy Galetti (@RudyGaletti) July 20, 2021
Kabak’s Underwhelming Spell In English Football Last Season
Kabak had an uneventful loan spell at Anfield in the second half of last season when he failed to catch the eye and missed a lot of key games due to injury. The Turkish sensation took part in 13 matches for the Reds in the previous campaign, picking up four yellow cards across various competitions.
However, the Ankara-born defensive ace deserves credit for averaging 2.1 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 3.0 clearances per 90 minutes in Premier League football. He even distributed the ball quite well from the back based on his pass completion rate of 88.7% in the English top-flight (stats via whoscored).
Kabak needs a regular run of games at the highest level if he wants to become a class act in central defence in the coming seasons. Joining Leicester this summer would be a good move for him as he has what it takes to secure regular top-flight football under the stewardship of Brendan Rodgers.
Is Kabak A Good Signing For The Foxes?
On his day, Kabak can be a reliable defender inside his half as he usually times his tackles well which helps him make a few important interceptions at the back. He can clear his lines when in danger of being caught out at the back but can sometimes lack the pace to recover when caught out of position on the defensive end of the field.
If his performances of his national side are anything to go by, the Turkey international still has a very bright future in European football. Therefore the Foxes will do well to land him for the reported fee of around £8m in his off-season. He will add some much-needed quality to Leicester’s backline and could serve as an excellent long-term successor to Jonny Evans who is edging closer towards the end of his career.
As long as Kabak can steer clear of injuries, he would have a good shot of tasting success at the King Power in the years to come. Thus, he will be a great signing for the East Midlands outfit this summer as he will help them make another push for the top four spots in the Premier League next season.
