Liverpool devise plan to sign 21-year-old defensive starlet for lesser than £18m

Liverpool wish to sign Ozan Kabak from Schalke in a permanent transfer

A report by The Atheltic (Subscription Required) [h/t Mirror] mentions that Liverpool would try to sign Ozan Kabak for cheaper than the permanent transfer clause in his contract.

The Turkish defender joined the Reds in the winter transfer window this year on a 6-month loan. The Reds paid a £1.5million loan fee as they wanted to sign defensive cover for the rest of the season.

The injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, and Joe Gomez left a void that needed to be filled. And the deal for Kabak also included an option to buy him for £18million at the end of this season.

But the report adds that the Reds felt their desperation drove up the price for Kabak and that they could sign him for cheaper this summer. And to do this, they plan to get a deal done for Kabak after he re-joins Schalke.

Kabak’s stay could be made permanent

This is, of course, a plan that can backfire because the 21-year-old could have other suitors who might bid a higher fee that Schalke would more willingly accept.

Either way, it looks like a deal worth pursuing. Kabak, alongside Nat Phillips, has shown his quality in the Merseysiders backline this season.

However, it seems like Jurgen Klopp’s focus has shifted to getting a deal done for RB Leipzig centre-back Ibrahima Konate. But there remains a chance that the club pursues both defenders. (h/t Mirror)

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Nevertheless, the Reds would be in a much better position at the end of the season than they are in right now when it comes to having defensive personnel. And with defenders returning from injuries, any deal for Kabak or Konate would seem like a bonus.