Liverpool have signed Ozan Kabak on loan from Schalke for the rest of the 2020/21 season and also reserve the option to sign him permanently in the summer.

Liverpool have made an official statement to confirm that they have secured the services of Ozan Kabak on a loan deal until the end of the ongoing season, with the transfer’s completion subject to international clearance. The Premier League champions reportedly reserve the option of signing him permanently in the summer.

Kabak becomes the second centre-back to arrive at Liverpool on the deadline day of the ongoing winter transfer window following the permanent signing of Ben Davies from Preston North End. The Turkish international, though, is yet to travel to Merseyside and will only make his way to Anfield later this week.

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In the meantime, Kabak has completed the formalities of the transfer in Germany, including the medical, before putting pen to paper on the loan deal to join Liverpool. And, according to reputed Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the loan fee for the 20-year-old could go up to €2.5 million.

Liverpool also have the option to buy him on a permanent basis by paying Schalke €30 million in the summer. If they do exercise this option, the Reds will end up securing his services on a five-year contract. For now, though, Kabak, whose links with Liverpool resurfaced only on deadline day, will come in as a much-needed solution to a brewing injury crisis.

As things stand, Jurgen Klopp is without his three recognised senior centre-backs in Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, with Fabinho, who has been brilliant in a makeshift role, also sidelined. That had left the Liverpool manager with youngsters Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams apart from another makeshift centre-back in Jordan Henderson as the only options at his disposal.

But, with the signings of Davies and Kabak, Klopp should have a much-sought reprieve. The Liverpool boss did express his delight at his signing, saying, “He came very young to Germany and everybody was clear he was a massive talent. For him, I think it’s a really good moment to make the move because, like each player in the world, you need a stable team around you and that’s what we can deliver.”

“We deliver a stable team and you can play your position, you don’t have to be 20 with pretty much everything on the pitch and not allowed to make mistakes anymore. He’s really a big, big talent and we are really looking forward to working with him.”

Kabak will not be available for Liverpool’s midweek Premier League game against Brighton & Hove Albion but could come into contention later this week versus Manchester City. It will now be interesting to see if his arrival can galvanize the struggling defensive unit in the second half of the season.

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