Staff Reporter.
Liverpool are close to completing a loan deal for Schalke’s Turkey central defender Ozan Kabak.
The 20-year-old will join Liverpool until the end of the season in addition to the deal which brings Preston North End’s Ben Davies to Anfield for £2m.
Marseille’s Duje Caleta-Car is also a potential target with the Reds exploring a number of options in defence because of injuries.
Defender Davies, 25, has signed a “long-term” deal at Anfield.
Liverpool are missing experienced centre-backs Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez because of injury, while midfielder Fabinho, who has been standing-in at the back, is also out.
“I think it’s probably clear that in a normal transfer window, without any issues, we would not look at Preston [to see] if there’s a player for us or something like that,” said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
“Since our situation got clearer and clearer – the problems we had – when we saw him we got really excited about it and thought, ‘Wow.’
“We see the quality and we see the potential as well because he’s 25 and there’s a lot to come for him.”
Kabak was recommended by former Huddersfield Town manager David Wagner.
Wagner coached him at Bundesliga side Schalke and worked with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund.
Liverpool have an option – not an obligation – to buy Kabak at the end of the season and will pay a £1m loan fee now with a potential for a £500,000 bonus based on games played, and how they fare in the Champions League.
The option for a permanent deal is priced at £18m plus add-ons and does not need to be activated until June.
Meanwhile Newcastle have signed Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock on loan while full-back DeAndre Yedlin has completed a move to Turkish side Galatasaray.
Willock, 21, has featured as a substitute for the Gunners in recent months and last started a Premier League game in November.
Yedlin, 27, was surplus to requirements as Newcastle have two other right-backs in Javier Manquillo and Emil Krafth.