Ozan Kabak promise he can be a better player next season for one simple reason. Liverpool must decide if they want to take that chance.
Ozan Kabak may or may not be at Liverpool next season. We’re really not sure at this point.
He’s currently on loan from Schalke 04, of course, and the Reds can make that move permanent for around £18m. They’ve just got to weigh up their options.
A lot of factors weigh into the decision. How often would he play, for instance? Who are the other options and what would they cost? And how good can Kabak be?
The latter is arguably the big one. Kabak is still only 21 and there’s definitely great potential there – Liverpool must decide how likely he is to reach it.
Some players never do, after all. They peak young and don’t develop the way you expect. Kabak, though, believes he can improve as soon as next season for one obvious reason.
Ozan Kabak on next season
Kabak gave an interview to The Times this week where he discussed his future. He put things in no uncertain terms: “It’s Liverpool. Of course I want to stay.”
And Kabak promises that he can improve quickly, thanks to the people at Liverpool.
“Of course I am a young player, I could do some things better, but I have a long way to go in my career and I can be a better player,” said Kabak.
“Virgil [van Dijk], Joel Matip, Joe Gomez – they are very good centre backs and if I train with them and a manager like Jurgen Klopp, I can be better.”
And he’s probably right. Kabak hasn’t been able to train or play with Liverpool’s best centre-backs. In fact, he hasn’t really trained or played with defenders of their calibre before.
That does make you wonder. Would a year learning from Van Dijk, Gomez and Matip see rapid improvement? It really might.
Unfortunately for Kabak, though, Liverpool might be thinking the same thing about Ibrahima Konate.
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