Ozan Kabak, who plies his trade for recently relegated Bundesliga side Stuttgart, is reportedly drawing interest from Arsenal, Manchester United and more.
After relegation from Bundesliga, Stuttgart will be expected to lose their key stars to other clubs, with one of the stars reportedly being Ozan Kabak. The centre-back is drawing interest from the Premier League, with Daily Mail reporting that Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham are considering a summer move for the defender.
The report adds that Kabak has a relegation release clause of £13.2 million, which is now set to come into force after Stuttgart’s relegation from Bundesliga. Daily Mail have further named Bayern Munich as another club who are also following the defender closely.
Ozan Kabak has had a brief spell at Stuttgart. The defender was brought in by the German club in January from Galatasaray in hopes of tightening the leaky backline. While the 19-year-old impressed in his performances, he could not do enough to get Stuttgart to stave off the threat of relegation.
His performances have drawn praise from former player and Stuttgart Sporting Director Thomas Hitzlsperger, who praised his maturity and attitude, which is rare to find in a player so young. The Premier League clubs seem to have taken note of the same qualities and more, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham interested.
Unai Emery would not be satisfied with his first season at Arsenal at all. Sokratis is the only central defender to have impressed enough to lock down a regular place in the backline while others have struggled. A centre-back or two will be priority for Arsenal, especially after leaking 4 goals in their UEFA Europa League final defeat to Chelsea.
That the player would be available for dirt cheap at the price of £13.2 million, compared to other targets, will be a bonus for Arsenal. The same reason could apply for Manchester United, who have been quoted ludicrous prices for their primary defensive targets like Kalidou Koulibaly and Harry Maguire.
Manchester United have had a disastrous 2018-19 Premier League campaign by their lofty standards. The defence took a beating, with 54 goals leaked by the backline. Victor Lindelof has performed admirably but has been found wanting an able partner in central defence, with the likes of Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones flattering to deceive.
Tottenham might be in danger of losing Toby Alderweireld, who is yet to sign a contract extension at the club. Also, Mauricio Pochettino will need more depth in order to successfully challenge for all top honours.
Ozan Kabak might just be 19, with only half a season in the top five European leagues under his belt. But, his performances have shown capability of matching up to the new level and adjusting to new surroundings. Perhaps, a move to the cash-rich Premier League beckons, with Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham all lining up a move for the centre-back.
