Liverpool set bid £20m for ‘combative’ ball-playing defender
Liverpool want to sign Ozan Kabak.
The reports have come via Simon Jones at the MailOnline and WP.de duo Andreas Ernst and Manfred Hendriock.
Ozan Kabak currently plays for Schalke in the Bundesliga and was described as a ‘combative’ and ‘good on the ball’.
Despite being there for just a season, Liverpool want the 20-year-old as a replacement for the outgoing Dejan Lovren.
WP reached out to the Gelsenkirchen side for comment, and they preferred to stay silent about the transfer rumour. However, they are going to need to sell players this summer in order to balance the books.
They have recently introduced a salary cap in order to keep costs under control, and a good offer will surely temp them to part with the starlet.
Respected Bundesliga journalist Chris Williams tweeted that Liverpool would likely start any bidding for Kabak at £20 million and go from there.
After joining Stuttgart from Galatasaray for £9.9 million in January 2019, Kabak wasn’t able to keep the side in the German top flight and wasn’t about to hang around to experience life in the second tier.
Schalke came in with decent money, Stuttgart made a quick profit on a player they owned for half-a-season and sold the defender for £13.5 million.
Now it looks like Kabak could be on the move once more as Liverpool are interested in doubling Schalke’s money after just a year and 26 Bundesliga appearances for them.
Jurgen Klopp is close with David Wagnar, who is now working in Germany. That could help smooth negotiations between the two sides, which are sure to be tough.
Liverpool do need to recruit a defender as Lovren’s exit. Sepp van den Berg and Ki-Jana Hoever aren’t ready to step up to Premier League level, while Joe Gomez and Joel Matip are too injury prone to trust across a full campaign.
Next. Liverpool fear £35m star wants out following Dejan Lovren exit. dark
If sporting director Michael Edwards can get this one across the line for less than the mooted £40 million asking price, it’ll be considered an excellent deal for a player who is prime to improve in future years.