Speaking recently on the Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano discussed Liverpool’s reported interest in Schalke centre-back, Ozan Kabak.
Since joining Schalke from VfB Stuttgart in what was a £13.5 million deal last summer, the Turkish defender has impressed for the Bundesliga side, scoring three goals and providing one assist over his 26 appearances in the German top-flight last season, averaging a WhoScored match rating of 6.85.
These performances have seen the 20-year-old’s market value rise from £13.5 million when he joined Schalke, to £26.1 million today, and the defender is also said to have caught the eye of Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, with sports journalist Chris Williams claiming on Twitter that Liverpool had contacted Schalke regarding the possibility of signing Kabak.
This reported interest in Kabak was something that Romano discussed on the latest episode of the Here We Go podcast, however, the journalist appeared to be less than convinced with the idea that Klopp’s side could be making a move for the 20-year-old.
He said: “In this moment, Liverpool are convinced they are okay with this team, they are not going to sign any other players, so I don’t expect Liverpool to [make] a move for Ozan Kabak. We have to say, always expect the unexpected, but, in this moment, there are no advanced talks to sign Ozan Kabak.
“He’s a player that Liverpool were scouting [for] many months, also when he was in Stuttgart before joining Schalke – they always appreciated him, as [have] other clubs in the Premier League, but, this summer, we didn’t have something real to see Ozan Kabak joining Liverpool. So, I think there are just rumours, links – but nothing advanced.”
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From Romano’s comments, it is clear that the journalist believes Liverpool are very much aware of Kabak, however, there is very little chance of the club making a move for the defender in the current transfer window, as Klopp is “convinced” that his side are fine with the players he already has at his disposal.
However, considering the fact that Romano also states that Liverpool have been watching the centre-back since his time at Stuttgart, it is easy to assume that the club will be keeping an eye on the 20-year-old’s progression over the course of this season, leaving open the possibility of the club potentially making a move for Kabak at some point in the future.