Ozan Kabak has been a very decent addition to Liverpool, it has to be said.
The Schalke-owned powerhouse didn’t have a great first few weeks, but he swiftly adapted and prior to his injury last month, had been looking like a cracking young player.
Liverpool signed him on loan from the now-relegated Bundesliga side in January and it’s been reported that he would cost £18 million if the Reds wanted a permanent deal.
With Ibrahima Konate reportedly coming in, Jurgen Klopp will have a lot of quality and depth at centre-back next term, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip returning to full fitness.
And as a result, it remains to be seen if Liverpool will shell out the £18 million to also bring in the 21-year-old.
But Kabak, speaking to The Times, has admitted that he’d love a permanent move to Anfield during the summer – and he feels he has done enough to get one.
He said: “It’s Liverpool. Of course I want to stay. These five months have been very valuable for my career, my personality. I have met with very good people, very good footballers. I have worked with a manager like Jurgen. Now I have a lot of experience with these stars. I would say they are stars. There are a lot of stars on our team. Even to train with them makes you better.
“New challenge for me, but I think I have done good enough. I try to give my best always. Sometimes I play good, sometimes I played normal, bad. But always I tried to play my best and contribute to the team.”
Despite the Konate thing and returning centre-backs this summer, there is a chance Liverpool will sign Kabak.
After all, it has been reported regularly over the past five months that the Reds would be signing two central defenders before next season and even if the Konate deal comes off, that leaves room for one more.
And given how well Kabak has done this season, it could – and should – be him.
At £18 million, this might be remembered as an absolute bargain over the coming years.
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