With Liverpool’s mounting injury concerns, particularly among defenders in the squad, The Reds are rumoured to be interested in Schalke’s Ozan Kabak.
As reported in recent days by the Mirror, Jürgen Klopp is an admirer of the 20-year-old centre-backs talents. Kabak is already a full international for Turkey. He has been playing his football in Germany’s Bundesliga since leaving Turkish club Galatasaray in January 2019. First, he moved to VfB Stuttgart and then to his current club Schalke.
Liverpool lost Virgil van Dijk for the rest of the season after Jordan Pickford’s terrible challenge in the Merseyside derby. Joël Matip is currently injured and has to be managed carefully if Klopp is to get the most and best use out of him in the coming months. Fabinho had dropped back to play as centre-half in Van Dijk’s absence but he too limped off injured against FC Midtjylland on Tuesday night. Thankfully, following a scan on his hamstring injury, it appears Fabinho will only miss a couple of weeks. Still, that leaves Joe Gomez as the only ‘senior’ fit centre-back in the squad. Young Rhys Williams was thrust into action when Fabinho got injured during the week.
The situation has apparently spurred Liverpool into action with Kabak with the Mirror article stating that:
The Reds told the Bundesliga club that they want to take the 20-year-old Turkish centre-back to Anfield after learning they had lost Virgil van Dijk for the season with a torn cruciate ligament.
Jurgen Klopp is a big admirer of Kabak – and Liverpool would have made their move in the summer had the pandemic not struck to limit their transfer spend.
Schalke valued Kabak at £40million before covid-19 ravaged the game’s finances.
They are still looking to bank £30million but Liverpool are preparing a deal that would see them pay an initial £20million with further payments loaded into the deal.
The fixtures are coming thick and fast in the condensed campaign that is 2020/21. The January transfer window could be a busy one with the bigger clubs bringing in extra reinforcements to share the workload among a larger squad.
It’s likely that Liverpool will move for someone in January and Ozan Kabak could well be on Merseyside before too long.
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Am sure this was before we realised Alaba will be fair game in January . . . Him Dayot Upamecano seem better CB alternatives in my opinion, but then again, Edwards and Jurgen are two people who have done enough not to be questioned in their transfer business. In Klopp We Trust.