Why Liverpool should plot a move for Ozan Kabak in January
According to claims from The Athletic journalist James Pearce (h/t Daily Mirror), Liverpool could make a move for Schalke defender Ozan Kabak to replace Virgil van Dijk when the transfer window reopens in January.
The Reds have drawn up a shortlist of centre-backs following the injury to the Dutchman, who is expected to be on the sidelines for most of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in the Merseyside derby against Everton last week.
As per the report, Liverpool are expected to make a renewed attempt to sign Ben White during the mid-season trading period after failing to get a deal over the line for the Brighton star in the summer. However, Kabak has also been lined up as a feasible alternative should the reigning PL champions fail in their pursuit of White once again.
Profile
Ozan Kabak joined Galatasaray’s academy back in 2011 and caught the eye across youth levels before signing his first professional contract in 2017. He made his first-team debut during the 2017-18 season and went on to feature 17 times in all competitions in the first half of the 2018-19 campaign.
The 20-year-old centre-back earned rave reviews for his performances in the group stages of the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League, which paved the way for a switch to the Bundesliga with VfB Stuttgart in January 2019. Kabak quickly established himself as a regular starter in Germany and finished the campaign with 15 league starts.
The Turk switched boats to join Schalke last summer and made 28 appearances in all competitions over the course of an impressive debut season, scoring thrice in the process. Having already represented Turkey across U-16, U-17, and U-18 levels, Kabak made his senior international debut back in November last year and has since accumulated 4 caps to his name.
Liverpool would benefit from Kabak’s potential
Liverpool went into the campaign a tad light in their central defensive options following the departure of long-serving Dejan Lovren to Zenit St. Petersburg in the summer window. And the injury to Van Dijk couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Reds given that the domestic window ended just a few days ago.
Jurgen Klopp now has a massive task on his hands to cope without the services of Van Dijk, who has been the heartbeat of the club’s backline over the past two years. Joel Matip and Joe Gomez are accomplished centre-backs at the highest level but Liverpool will surely miss the Dutchman’s qualities, not to mention his leadership skills.
Sepp van den Berg and Rhys Williams are talented young defenders but they aren’t quite ready to make the step up to the first-team just yet, at least not in the Premier League. Fabinho has often been utilised as a part of the backline and Klopp could once again resort to similar tactics.
However, Liverpool ideally need to bring in a new central defender in January, not only to cover for Van Dijk’s injury but to also replenish squad depth following Lovren’s departure. Ozan Kabak, to that end, presents a top-quality option in the right age bracket to come through the door at Anfield as an excellent long-term investment.
The 20-year-old already boasts of an excellent CV for a player of his age. Kabak is very much a regular starter in the Bundesliga. He has also impressed in the Champions League, which clearly outlines his enormous potential as a footballer. The centre-back has also broken into the Turkey national team and looks destined to achieve big things in the future.
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Verdict
Jurgen Klopp is right up there with the very best when it comes to transforming quality young players into world-beaters. Ozan Kabak is very much among the best rising centre-backs across Europe.
He looks capable of taking his game to a new level under the German’s watchful eyes. With that in mind, Liverpool making a move for the promising Turk would be an excellent bit of business to rebuild their backline.
