Schalke have confirmed that rumoured Tottenham Hotspur target Ozan Kabak has been given permission to miss pre-season training amidst the speculation surrounding the centre-back’s future.
Kabak did not make much of an impression during his loan spell at Liverpool during the second half of last season and the Merseysiders have unsurprisingly decided against taking up the £18m option to buy him permanently.
It was reported in the Italian press last month that Fabio Paratici wanted to bring the Turkish international to North London.
Some publications in Germany have also previously claimed that Schalke are ready to cash in on the centre-back, who is also on the radars of Crystal Palace, Leicester City and RB Leipzig.
Meanwhile, SportBild have also credited Bayer Leverkusen with an interest in the 21-year-old, adding that the defender is looking for a hefty pay package at his next club.
It remains to be seen where Kabak ends up this summer but it now looks certain that he is not going to be playing his football in Gelsenkirchen after the club’s relegation from the Bundesliga last season.
Schalke have now confirmed that the defender has been given a week off from training ‘in order to focus on his future’.
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Spurs Web Opinion
One cannot judge Kabak too harshly based on his short stint at Liverpool as the youngster was in and out of the side and it was his first taste of English football.
However, the 21-year-old is certainly level below some of the other centre-backs we have been linked with like Jules Kounde.
The Turk would be a player for the future rather than one capable of immediately sorting out our backline.
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