Bayern Munich has reportedly started negotiations to sign Ozan Kabak from VfB Stuttgart.
The summer transfer window at Bayern Munich has begun with a flurry of departures. Die Roten have already offloaded five senior players. Mats Hummels was the latest player to leave the club as he is set to join Borussia Dortmund on a three-year deal.
Bayern decided to address the defensive problems by spending big money on Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez. The German club was expected to sell only one center-back this summer. However, after the departure of Hummels and the potential exit of Jerome Boateng, the Bundesliga Champions might make one more addition in defense.
According to Kicker, Ozan Kabak is the player that could be the replacement for Hummels. This report also insists that Bayern has started talks with the representatives of the center-back. The Bavarians will face stiff competition for Kabak as numerous European clubs are looking to sign him this summer.
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This report from Kicker was confirmed by Bild’s Christian Falk. Bayern’s interest in the Turkish defender was reported earlier last week but AC Milan was considered as favorites to land him. Bayern was linked with Kabak in January but he eventually went to Stuttgart. After Stuttgart’s relegation, the interested clubs can sign Kabak for €15 million.
Kabak has adapted quickly to the Bundesliga. The Turk was one of the standout players for Stuttgart last season despite playing only six months for the club. Kabak is considered as one of the best defenders in his age group. He is an aggressive defender that has a very high success ratio of winning duels against forwards. Kabak’s game still needs polishing but he has the potential to be a world-class center-back.
Bayern Munich will have three options in central defense next season if Boateng leaves the club this summer. Niklas Sule is likely to be the first choice center-back while Hernandez and Pavard are likely to execute the roles of central defender and full-back throughout the season. Javi Martinez can also provide cover in this position if needed but Kovac prefers to use him in midfield.
The signing of Kabak will make sense if Niko Kovac plans to use Joshua Kimmich in midfield. In such a scenario, Pavard becomes the first choice right-back and there will be three players including Kabak that can feature in central defense. Kovac will have to get his rotation spot on in this situation in order to keep all the defenders happy.
Kabak needs regular gametime at this point in his career, hence a move to Bayern is not exactly ideal for him. On the other hand, Bayern will be set for a long time in central defense if they get this deal over the line. The Bundesliga champions will have four top talents fighting it out for two positions in the starting lineup.