Speaking recently on the Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano provided an update on Liverpool’s reported interest in Schalke centre-back, Ozan Kabak.
Since arriving at Schalke from VfB Stuttgart in what was a £13.5 million deal last summer, Kabak has gone on to feature 36 times for the Bundesliga side, chipping in with three goals and providing one assist along the way.
So far this season, the £22.5 million-rated 20-year-old has made eight league appearances for Huub Stevens’ side, over which the defender has made an average of 0.9 tackles, one interception and 3.3 clearances, culminating in an extremely disappointing WhoScored match rating of 6.08 – ranking him as the 12th-worst player in a side who currently sit rock bottom of the Bundesliga table.
However, despite his apparent poor level of performance so far this season, it would seem as if the Turkey international has caught the eye of Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, as reports have suggested the Reds could be interested in a move for the centre-back in the January transfer window.
This potential deal was one subject of conversation on a recent episode of the Here We Go podcast, in which Romano claimed that although Liverpool are in talks with the player’s agent, at present, there has been no agreement regarding a move.
He said (26:39): “If they will go for a centre-back, one of the best options is Ozan Kabak. They are so happy with their centre-backs, they are waiting for [Virgil] van Dijk to come back, but Ozan Kabak is so appreciated by the board.
“As we said many times, he’s one of the players [on] the list for Liverpool. So, let’s see what’s going on. But, at the moment, there are no advanced negotiations. They are in contact with his agents, they are scouting the player, but there is nothing advanced yet.”
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TIF Thoughts on Fabrizio Romano’s comments regarding Liverpool’s interest in Ozan Kabak…
While Liverpool have dealt with the injuries to centre-back pair Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez incredibly well – the Reds have not lost a league game since the injuries to Van Dijk and Gomez, and currently sit top of the table – the fact remains that Klopp’s side are still incredibly short of experience in the position.
And, as the season progresses, without the ability to rotate due to their sidelined players, the chances other players picking up knocks increases with every fixture played, which, in our opinion, should lead to Liverpool strengthening at centre-back January, be that Kabak or another target.