Schalke defender Ozan Kabak admits that Bayern Munich were interested in signing him last summer.
Bayern Munich overhauled their defense last summer. The German champions bid farewell to Mats Hummels as he joined Borussia Dortmund. Die Roten replaced him with Lucas Hernandez and also added Benjamin Pavard to improve the depth in the defensive department.
Die Roten were linked with numerous young central defenders even after the arrival of Hernandez and Pavard. The German champions were reportedly interested in Ozan Kabak, who was playing for VfB Stuttgart at the moment.
Kabak was attracting a lot of interest from European clubs as he looked certain to leave Stuttgart as they were relegated to the second division. The Turkish international eventually decided to continue his rapid development in Germany by joining FC Schalke.
There was no public admission from Bayern or Kabak during the summer window about a move to Bavaria. He recently opened up about his decision to join Schalke during his interview with SportBild this week. The 19-year-old defender also confirmed that he held talks with Bayern Munich.
"“My agent and I had talks with Bayern Munich. I am a young player. It is important for my development to play a lot. That is why I chose Schalke after very good discussions with David Wagner and Michael Reschke (Technical Director; editor’s note ). The concept here is the best for me.”"
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Kabak’s move to Schalke has turned out to be fruitful as he has been solid for them this season. Apart from forming an important part of their defense, Obak has also contributed in the final third for Schalke by scoring three goals in the Bundesliga.
Die Roten may make a move for Kabak in the future or even in summer as Jerome Boateng is likely to leave the club. The German champions have been linked with Sevilla’s Unai Nunez, but Obak can turn out to be a perfect replacement for Boateng. However, Schalke will not allow him to go easily due to the length of his contract with the club.
Bayern Munich had a serious setback in their defensive department this season when Niklas Sule ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in September. The German defender will not play again this season. Hernandez has also struggled with injuries throughout the campaign, forcing Bayern to play Alphonso Davies in the left-back position and move David Alaba in central defense.
Kabak would have been a smart buy last summer, but it is understandable why he joined Schalke. Bayern should make sure that they win the race for him when he decides to leave Schalke. With Javi Martinez also likely to join Boateng in the departure list next summer, Rekordmeister will have to look for one more central defender.