Liverpool’s on-loan defender Ozan Kabak targeted by RB Leipzig as replacement for £40m defender Ibrahima Konate – who is set to join Jurgen Klopp’s side next season
- Liverpool’s on-loan Ozan Kabak is wanted by Bundesliga hopefuls RB Leipzig
- The 21-year-old is currently on loan at Anfield from German side FC Schalke 04
- The Reds are unlikely to take up the option to sign Kabak for £18m this summer
- Kabak would go to Leipzig as replacement for Liverpool-bound Ibrahima Konate
Liverpool’s on-loan defender Ozan Kabak is a target for Red Bull Leipzig.
Liverpool are unlikely to take up their option to sign the 21-year-old Kabak on a permanent £18million deal from Schalke as they have lined up Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate for the summer in a £40million transfer.
In turn, Leipzig are now discussing a potential deal for Turkey international Kabak, who also has interest from the Premier League.
Liverpool’s on-loan defender Ozan Kabak is a target for German club RB Leipzig this summer
Kabak would arrive as a replacement for Ibrahima Konate, who is set to join Liverpool for £40m
The Turkish centre back moved to Anfield in January to help out the Reds when Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez picked up long-term injuries in the first-half of the season and has made 13 appearances in all competitions for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Meanwhile, Sportsmail understands that, as of Sunday, Kabak has yet to be informed of this decision.
Kabak has endured a difficult few months at Liverpool which started horrendously on his Reds debut, even though he helped the Reds defeat Leipzig in the Champions League round-of-16.
Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool are understood to not be keen on making Kabak’s loan permanent
The Turkish defender was involved in a mix-up with goalkeeper Alisson Becker which led to a Jamie Vardy tap-in on his first Liverpool game – a 3-1 defeat away at Leicester.
Kabak won only one out of his first five Premier League games for Liverpool as Klopp’s side struggled in the league and he was on the pitch as the Reds crashed out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage to Real Madrid.
But the Turkish centre back has played a key role in the Reds’ seven-match unbeaten run in the top-flight which dates back to March 15, starting five games in that run.
Kabak has played 13 times since moving to Anfield in January and can be signed for £18m
But the 21-year-old has found himself out of the Liverpool matchday squad in recent weeks, with Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips starting the Reds’ recent victories against Southampton and Manchester United.
Not only are Liverpool close to completing the signing of highly-rated French defender Konate, but Klopp is set to welcome back Dutch defender Van Dijk in their pre-season campaign this summer.
The 29-year-old revealed this week that he will not rush back to play in Holland’s European Championships campaign, in order to be fit for the start of next season with Liverpool.