Liverpool have yet to arrange an agreement with Schalke’s Ozan Kabak, according to “transfer intermediary” George Gardi, as reported by Tuttomercato (via the Echo).
The Bundesliga defender has been heavily linked to an Anfield switch, with it being suggested that the Reds were proposing a swap-deal, with the out-of-favour Divock Origi going the other way.
“Ozan has been talked about for years… It’s normal for a player of this type, with this profile, to have certain combinations but there’s no pre-agreement with any club,” Gardi said. “What I can guarantee is that it’s not true, as has been reported, that Ozan has expressed any preference for one or for another championship. What I can say is that he has great respect for Milan.”
While we could imagine that a move to the current Serie A leaders might be more than tempting, we would expect Liverpool to be a far more enticing option if they were to demonstrate concrete interest.
Given Schalke’s current financial concerns – a fate shared by many due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis – Michael Edwards would be in a position of great strength to negotiate a transfer.
It’s ultimately up to the player (and the side, to an extent) of course, and Jurgen Klopp has to give the go-ahead, but for the reported figure of £13.77m, we’d hardly be going far wrong.
With Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez likely out of action for much of the second-half of the season, it’s important that we invest in a centre-back in this upcoming window – perhaps Kabak would be a low-risk option in that regard?