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There have been times, good and bad, as a Liverpool fan where the need to pinch yourself has been required.
Gareth Bale’s spectacular aerial kick in the 2018 Champions League final in Kiev is probably the most surreal from a negative point of view.
However, this week’s transfer activity is just at the other end of the scale.
The arrival of Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich is one of the club’s biggest signings of the modern era. And then of course Diogo Jota completed a £ 41 million move from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Both signings have addressed key issues in Jurgen Klopp’s roster. With that in mind, it’s hard enough to sit here and demand even more from the Reds’ recruiting team.
However, the cherry on top for this summer’s transfer window would be an additional central defender to join Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez.
Following Dejan Lovren’s departure to Zenit in July, Thiago’s pursuit led to suggestions that Fabinho could take the back seat if necessary.
The Brazilian midfielder has already done it expertly for the Reds, most notably scoring Robert Lewandowski in a 0-0 draw during the 2018/19 Champions League campaign.
However, one defender who has been linked to Liverpool is Schalke’s Ozan Kabak, the Turkish international who has played more than 30 Bundesliga games with Schalke and Stuttgart since leaving Galatasaray in 2018.
So why might Liverpool be interested in Kabak?
Looking at his stats from last season, the 20-year-old comes across as a strong defender when it comes to aerial duels.
A relatively high 5.46 aerial duels over 90 minutes combined with an impressive 70.43% success rate, which could be an area Liverpool is particularly interested in.
We’ve talked extensively about the importance of aerial prowess to Liverpool center-backs on Liverpool.com, but Kabak’s main strength is a timely reminder of just how pivotal he can be.
Having defenders like van Dijk and Matip to curb the threat of long-range passes from the opposition allows for an element of control in games.
A gradual improvement by the Reds to beat any type of team has been due in large part to that evolution at the rear.
On top of that, Kabak is an impressive ball carrier, and there are many signs that he could adapt to Liverpool’s reliance on center-backs for game management.
Given that he is still in the early stages of his development, that willingness to get possession from behind is sure to be something Liverpool will want to work on.
Schalke’s poor defense is often due to defenders risking the ball and then losing it.
If Liverpool made a move for Kabak, it goes without saying that he wouldn’t be a regular starter given the talent he has in front of him.
Instead, his raw defensive attributes could make him a decent endorsement when requested or even loaned, where his stock could eventually rise.
Like any transfer, many variables will need to line up for Liverpool to sign Kabak, but the defender has already shown some signs of being a useful addition to the team for Klopp.
All statistics via Wyscout
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