In a recent tweet, TuttoMercatoWeb‘s Marco Conterio has claimed that Liverpool are locked in a three-way transfer battle for Schalke 04 defender Ozan Kabak. It is understood that the Reds could face fierce competition from AC Milan and Manchester United in pursuit of the Turkish youngster.
📢🔴⚫ Non solo il #Milan e il #LFC su Ozan Kabak dello #S04. Il #MUFC vuole rinnovare la difesa del futuro e pensa al turco del club tedesco @TuttoMercatoWeb
— Marco Conterio (@marcoconterio) January 1, 2021
Kabak’s Underwhelming Campaign At Schalke So Far
The talented defender’s season at the Veltins-Arena has been far from convincing as he has been guilty of shipping in some cheap goals while operating at the centre of Christian Gross’ defence. The 20-year-old has only made eight appearances for the German outfit, securing three yellow cards and one red card in the Bundesliga.
Kabak has been a part of the Schalke defence that has let in 36 goals in 13 league matches thus far which has rooted them at the bottom of the league table. Even though he undeniably has great potential, his recent form could make him a risky option for any of his potential suitors, including the Reds.
The Ankara-born prospect deserves credit for showing a lot of grit and determination even when his team has not played well on the field. Kabak is averaging 0.9 tackles, 1.0 interceptions, 3.3 clearances, 1.0 shots and 1.6 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga. He has been excellent with his ball-distribution out from the back as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 88% in the German first division (stats via whoscored).
What Does The Turkish Whizkid Offer On The Field?
Kabak is often quick to scan the danger and can make some hard tackles to win possession back for his team. Standing at 1.86m, he can be a dominant presence inside his half and can use his strong frame to outmuscle the opposition and win his fair share of aerial duels.
The Turkish defensive ace is always willing to step in and make a clearance when needed and has proven himself to be a tidy passer of the ball. However, he lacks experience of playing at the highest level and might not be the ideal candidate to fix Liverpool’s current injury crisis.
Will Kabak Be The Right Fit For The Reds?
Jurgen Klopp has currently got Fabinho as his only fit senior centre-back option as Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Virgil Van Dijk are all out of action with serious injuries. Role players like Rhys Williams and Nathaniel Phillips have done well to fill in every now and then, but the Merseyside giants might struggle to sustain a title charge without recruiting a quality defensive option during the January transfer window.
A defender of Kabak’s potential will undoubtedly be a welcome addition to the Reds squad. Still, there are some serious question marks over whether he is good enough to perform at a high level in the Premier League week in week out.
At 20, the six-time Turkish international will only get better with each season, so Klopp should consider acquiring his services as he will be a good fit but only as a squad player for now. If the German head coach is planning to sign only one defender this month, then he will be better off opting for someone more experienced than Kabak.
