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Liverpool face May decision on Ozan Kabak, may still sign despite Konate deal progressing

Lee Connor

Wed 31 March 2021 8:45, UK

Liverpool may yet decide to pay the £18m to land Ozan Kabak on a permanent deal, despite progressing with a deal to try and sign Ibrahima Konate.

That is according to the , who was speaking on his podcast this week about the Kabak and Konate situation.

Kabak is currently on loan with the Reds but it is widely accepted that the club can turn that deal into a permanent one for a fee of around £18m. However, according to , that needs to be paid in May, meaning a decision is looming.

“A centre-half would always have been on the agenda [for Liverpool], maybe two. And that’s where the Kabak situation comes into question,” Ornstein said.

“Do Liverpool pay the option, which is £18m plus add-ons? I think they need to let Schalke know around mid-May, I don’t know the exact date.”

Ornstein went on further to say that Liverpool may indeed decide to go for two centre-backs, meaning a deal for Konate and Kabak could be likely. However, it remains to be seen if Jurgen Klopp has seen enough from the 21-year-old to convince him.

Further, the Reds also have Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk on the way back. Liverpool, then, need to carefully manage their budget in the summer, especially with consistent talk of a new attacker being on the agenda too.

TBR View: Kabak has done well but surely Konate is enough?

Liverpool have surrendered their title, we all know that. But it’s been a disastrous campaign in terms of injuries and one which surely won’t repeat itself?

If that’s the thinking, then signing Kabak and Konate might be a bit of a stretch. That would give them five senior central defenders with Matip, Gomez, and Van Dijk. And that’s without including Nat Phillips, Ben Davies, and others.

Sadly for Kabak, it looks like he might be heading back to Schalke here.