Liverpool won’t make a ‘huge bargain’ signing.
The injury to Virgil van Dijk has really set the cat amongst the pigeons and we’re seeing more and more stories linking central defenders to the club.
This summer we saw a wide range of players rumoured to be interesting sporting director Michael Edwards, and that’s not over yet.
While moves for Aissa Mandi or Diego Carlos might have been shelved, the rumour linking Ozan Kabak with a Liverpool move seemed to have gathered pace.
Kabak was a man in demand over the summer. The young Turkish international has impressed for a shambolic Schalke side and that has lead to admiring glances from across Europe.
We reported that the starlet was available for a ‘huge bargain’, but it now appears as if Liverpool are not interested in the man.
According to the Blood Red Podcast, Edwards won’t make a move for Kabak. Paul Gorst, who writes for The Echo, said that he’d been briefed ‘in no uncertain terms’ that the Turk wasn’t on the radar of the club.
"“I was told in so uncertain terms that he’s not someone who’s on the radar, circumstances can and might change if results dip and Liverpool decide to look at it in January and at the moment he seems to be pleased by what he’s seen by Fabinho and Gomez.”"
We’ve seen Joe Gomez up his game in the last few matches and Fabinho continues to play well as a centre-back, but the fitness worries over Joel Matip have continued and Klopp’s options at the back are incredibly limited.
While youngsters such a Rhys Williams have impressed during their brief cameo appearances, they can’t be counted on to play every second week and thus a short-term option must be sought in January.
Liverpool are one more injury away from disaster. The build up of fixtures and the crazy nature of the Premier League will mean Klopp needs to try and win every game and as a result there’ll be little scope for blooding inexperienced lads.
We could still dip in to the transfer market and we have done before. But it’s looking increasingly likely that it won’t be for Kabak.
Liverpool next play against Danish side FC Midtjylland on Tuesday night before resuming Premier League duties this weekend.