Liverpool signing Ozan Kabak is ‘special’ and Jurgen Klopp words back fan hype

Liverpool: Klopp welcomes signings Davies and Kabak

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp used his pre-match press conference to play down the hype surrounding new signing Ozan Kabak. But the German couldn’t resist calling the Schalke loanee ‘special’. And that suggests he’s poised to play an important role in the coming weeks as they look to close the gap on Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.

Klopp used his pre-match press conference to play down expectations over Kabak and Ben Davies, who arrived from Preston on transfer deadline day.

But he let slip his true feelings on the former, labelling him as ‘special’ ahead of the Reds’ showdown with Brighton on Wednesday night.

“Both [Kabak and Davies] have experience in adult football,” he explained.

“Ozan is young, but that makes him special as he has that experience. Ben slightly older, that’s football.”

And, after that, he added: “Ozan is still a talent and has proven a lot. He is here now in a stable team. He can help us and we can help him.

“Our situation is really strange. We are without our 4 centre-backs. We needed players.”

Klopp, clearly, didn’t want to place too much expectations on Kabak.

But, by calling him ‘special’, he’s suggested that Liverpool fans have every right to be encouraged and excited over their new asset.

Liverpool will certainly need Kabak to be special if they’re to win the Premier League title again, with City now in genuine danger of running away with it.

The Reds have done well to cope without the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, who have missed the majority of the campaign through injury so far.

But, with Joel Matip now sidelined, they’ll need the Schalke loanee to hit the ground running right from the very start.

Liverpool fans are yet to see their new signing in action but Sven Mislintat, who previously oversaw transfer activity at Arsenal, believes he’s a ‘superb’ addition to the side.

“I told Jurgen that he’s a top lad,” he told The Athletic.

“Top mentality, top character, top aggression. He’s a Lovren-type player. Very good in the air, both defensively and in the opposition box.

“He played his best stuff for us [at Stuttgart]. He hasn’t been able to show how good he is at Schalke. He still needs to learn but he has all the skills for Klopp to make a success of him.”

Michael Reschke oversaw Kabak’s move to Schalke in January 2019 and believes he’ll thrive at Anfield, despite ‘not being himself lately’.

Reschke said: “He hasn’t quite been himself lately. Him spitting at an opponent was completely out of character for him.

“There was no way Schalke could stop him from going to Liverpool now. If they had refused him a big transfer for a second time, they would have killed him as a player. They knew they had to let him go now.

“David Wagner would have given him a glowing report. He’s not super fast, but he’s very strong and resilient, switched on. He can play football, he wants to win every ball and he’s great in the air.

“I’d be surprised if he didn’t score a couple of goals from set pieces.

“He will benefit from a bit of guidance by more experienced players and from Klopp, who tends to improve every player.

“We shouldn’t forget that he’s still young but getting him in on an initial loan is a superb deal for Liverpool.

“He will try absolutely everything to make it a permanent deal. I’m pretty sure he’ll make it. He’s got the quality to become an international top-class centre-back.”

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