Celtic are reportedly interested in a move to sign former Liverpool defender Ozan Kabak on a free transfer in the summer.
Kabak is set to leave Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga at the end of his contract in June, and the Hoops are keen to bring him to Glasgow. With limited options in defence going into next season, you would think it is one of the positions that Celtic will be looking to bolster.
According to TEAMtalk, that is the case. Celtic are also expected to look for a new goalkeeper, with Kasper Schmeichel to leave the club when his contract ends after a controversial final season.
Kabak has previously featured for the likes of Liverpool and Norwich, having initially come through the ranks at Galatasaray in Turkey. He was part of the squads that won the Super Lig in 2018 and 2019, and made 20 total English Premier League appearances once making the move to Britain.
He struggled to get chances at Liverpool as he was behind the likes of Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk in the pecking order. Eventually, it was decided that he wasn't the type of long-term option at the back that the Reds were looking for, and he lost his chance to break through under Jurgen Klopp.
A good move for Celtic?
Bringing Kabak to Celtic would be a decent move. He is only 25 years old and clearly still has a lot to offer, and if we really do offer him the chance to become a regular starter, he could impress.
What makes the deal even better is that we could get him for absolutely nothing. You have to assume that the Hoops are going to look to improve all over the park, with the striker and goalkeeper positions being another priority. If we can save funds at the back, especially with Cameron Carter-Vickers coming back, then that money can hopefully be invested elsewhere to improve the squad overall.
However, with that being said, we have to be sure that Kabak is the correct option at this time. We can't just go for him because he is free; he has to fit the style of play the next manager will want to establish.
It's a good sign that Klopp once labelled him a "big talent" though. If a manager of that calibre has that praise to give about a player, then he has to have something about him. Let's just hope that the failure to establish himself in recent years hasn't affected his mentality, and that he'll still be able to bounce back should he don the hoops.