Newcastle could make a renewed bid to try and bring Schalke 04 defender Ozan Kabak to St James’ Park this summer, despite having missed out on him in the winter window, per The Sunday Mirror (14/02/2021, p.8 of football pullout) [via HITC].
It had been reported that the Magpies were confident they had secured a deal to sign the defender from Bundesliga strugglers Schalke on deadline day. However, in the end they were blown out of the water by an offer from Premier League champions Liverpool which reportedly included an option to buy at around £18m in the summer.
In the end, Newcastle did not add to their defensive options in the winter window. However, recent injuries to the likes of Jamal Lascelles, Federico Fernandez and Fabian Schar have shown that Steve Bruce’s side are a little short on numbers at the heart of defence. That has forced midfielder Isaac Hayden to step into the back four recently.
It is now being reported that Newcastle would be willing to make a move for the seven-cap Turkey international in the summer if Liverpool decide against making his move permanent, per The Sunday Mirror (14/02/2021, p8). The 20-year-old did not cover himself in glory on his debut for the champions against Leicester on Saturday (Sofascore), even clashing with Alisson for one of the goals.
Read Newcastle verdict
Kabak is a player who seems to have plenty of potential, but he has perhaps been brought into a club the size of Liverpool a little too soon and thrown right into the deep end due to their injury issues. The defender might yet prove to be a good addition for the champions, but he looked a bit off the pace during their defeat against Leicester.
Newcastle might well be able to capitalise on the situation if his loan move to Liverpool does not impress them enough to commit to a permanent deal of around £18m. However, it would be difficult to imagine the Magpies paying that sort of fee for him, so they might need to haggle with Schalke over that valuation.
Bruce seems to be keen on Kabak, and he is still only a young prospect at 20, so he would not seem a bad signing for the Magpies. However, there are plenty of factors which could prevent Newcastle from making this move, so for now it is just one to keep an eye on over the coming months.
