Liverpool are reportedly eyeing a possible move in the January transfer window for Ozan Kabak, who is viewed as a potential cover for Virgil van Dijk.
According to a report by Norwegian outlet TV 2, who have quoted claims by the reliable James Pearce, Ozan Kabak is the subject of interest from Liverpool. The Turkish international is seen as a possible cover for Virgil van Dijk, whose knee injury is set to force the Reds into the transfer market this January.
Liverpool’s defence has been thrown into a disarray following the injury that Virgil van Dijk picked against Everton this past weekend. The said injury is set to rule the Dutchman out for much of the remainder of the season, if not the entire campaign, with David Ornstein claiming his injury might be worse than what was initially feared.
“Virgil is our boy. Yes, that feels massive, 100%. We have to deal with it, we will deal with it. We will miss him.”
“None of the players slept after what happened with Virgil.”
Jürgen Klopp and Gini Wijnaldum on Virgil van Dijk’s ACL injury ahead of their Ajax #UCL opener. pic.twitter.com/nzpNWTamqv
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 21, 2020
Liverpool, therefore, need to identify possible options to provide cover for van Dijk over the course of his absence and beyond. The problems are also compounded by the fact that the Reds were unable to replace Dejan Lovren, leaving Joe Gomez and Joel Matip as the only recognised central defenders at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal.
As a result, the Premier League champions have been linked with a couple of centre-backs, with Ben White also on their agenda, as per reports. However, Brighton & Hove Albion’s £50 million valuation might pose some problems. As a result, it looks like other options are being identified as well by Liverpool, one of them being Ozan Kabak.
Kabak was linked with a possible move to Anfield in the summer transfer window, but a move never managed to go through. The continued interest in the 20-year-old Turkish international does make sense, though.
Kabak has been one of the rare shining lights for a struggling Schalke side since joining them in the summer of 2019. However, the young defender has started the current campaign on a dismal note and is currently serving a suspension. Nevertheless, his talent is undoubted, which is why Liverpool are keen on securing his services.
The report claims that Liverpool rate Kabak highly, although Klopp is also counting on young Rhys Williams to step up in the time that van Dijk is out injured. Meanwhile, AC Milan have also been linked with the 20-year-old and it will be interesting to see if Liverpool make a serious move to sign him.
For now, Kabak seems to be one of the options that Liverpool are considering to cover for van Dijk for the remainder of the season and beyond. It now remains to be seen if the Reds launch the offensive for the Schalke man in the January transfer window.
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