Liverpool have set their sights on Schalke’s Ozan Kabak following the departure of long-serving centre-back, Dejan Lovren.
According to Daily Mail, Liverpool are among the clubs keeping tabs on Ozan Kabak. The Schalke defender has emerged as a subject of interest from clubs across Europe following his performances in the Bundesliga. He is currently being valued at around £40 million by his club.
That is, however, likely to be considered as too expensive by Liverpool amid Coronavirus pandemic that has affected the club’s financial situation. Other interested parties including Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Juventus may also find it difficult to meet Kabak’s £40 million valuation due to the same reason.
The Turkish international is, however, regarded as one of the most talented young centre-backs in the Bundesliga, having initially made his breakthrough at VfB Stuttgart. His impressive performances for Die Schwaben earned him a £13.5 million move to Schalke last summer.
Since then, Kabak has become a key component in the club’s backline. His spell with the Royal Blues hasn’t been perfect, however, as the defender has often lacked consistency. He has also made silly errors throughout the course of the campaign as Schalke finished the season in the second half of the league table.
Ozan Kabak profile:
• 20-year-old CB
• 1 cap for Turkey
• Has declared Van Dijk as “his idol”
• Schalke want £31.8m
• Has a release clause in his contract that allows him to leave next summer for £41m pic.twitter.com/o2LKXSPMXC— Anfield Edition (@AnfieldEdition) July 26, 2020
But on the flip side, Kabak has indeed shown a lot of promise. Starting from his impressive 1.86m physique to his exceptional ball-playing qualities, he has all the characteristics for a top-quality defender. Hence, Liverpool courting the Turkish international comes as no surprise, especially following the recent departure of Dejan Lovren.
The Croatian international, after six years at the club, finally left Anfield, in favour of a £22 million move to Zenit St. Petersburg. Although his departure will not create a massive void in the defensive unit, Liverpool do certainly need reinforcements to fill up that depth at centre-back.
Kabak, in that regard, looks like an ideal option. The 20-year-old, as mentioned earlier, has been a rising star in the Bundesliga and the talent to establish himself as a star in the Premier League. He may need to learn a lot from Jurgen Klopp, though, given his lack of experience at the highest level of football.
However, for the astounding fee of £40 million, Kabak may not be worth the gamble for Liverpool despite all his potential. Instead, the Reds could set their sights on another reported target in Ben White, although the Brighton & Hove Albion man could also cost a fortune, following a successful loan spell at Leeds United.
