Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has already issued his verdict on Ozan Kabak amid links with Tottenham Hotspur this summer. The Turkish defender spent the second half of last season on loan at Anfield, with the Reds electing not to sign the Schalke man on a permanent deal. According to reports in Germany, Nuno Espirito Santo’s Tottenham are amongst those potentially interested in making a move but face considerable competition from the likes of Leicester City, Newcastle United, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig.
Jurgen Klopp said: “Ozan [Kabak] came in at 20 from Germany, was a big prospect but wasn’t lucky with the last two teams he played for, one went down [Stuttgart] and the other will probably go down [Schalke]. But nobody really doubted his quality. Then coming here and making this big step and winning more games than before, it’s really good for him that he can show that. We were convinced but in the end you never know, and he really proved that point.”
In his time with Liverpool, Kabak made 13 appearances in all competitions as the Reds sealed a third-placed finish in the Premier League. He still has three years left to run on his Schalke contract and is expected to command a fee of €15million (£12.8m). Meanwhile, Spurs continue to be linked with Lyon’s Joachim Andersen, who also spent time on-loan in the Premier League last season with Fulham.
