West Ham United are thought to be interested in signing Ozan Kabak this summer, according to a report by The Guardian.
It is claimed the Hammers will face stiff competition for his signature should we look to acquire him from Stuttgart, especially considering that he is thought to be available for a bargain fee of €15million (£13.3m) because of a release clause in his contract.
We might already have the likes of Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena holding down the fort, however, Kabak certainly looks like a defender destined for the top – something that the Bundesliga appears to have recognised as well.
Having played only 15 top-flight matches for Stuttgart, he was named the league’s ‘Rookie of the Season’ for his performances in a season which saw them relegated after losing their relegation/promotion play-off to Union Berlin.
Kabak would seem to be the perfect player to team-up with Diop in the centre of our defence for years to come, and stats provided by WhoScored would go along way in helping to make that point. The Turkey Under-18 international managed to average 2.5 tackles and 1.8 interceptions in his 34 matches across all competitions last season.
Diop had similar statistics, with WhoScored stating he had an average of 2.1 tackles per game and 1.9 interceptions in his 38 appearances across all competitions.
And, it would seem we are not the only ones excited about the possibility of having Kabak at the London Stadium in the future, with plenty of West Ham fans taking to Twitter to share positive opinions about a possible switch.
An Arsenal fan even felt the same as us in saying that a partnership with Diop would be ‘insane’, whilst another believed it would be a ‘brilliant’ signing for the club to make. Here are some of their reactions…
Think he got rookie of the season for the Bundesliga – loads of potential, like the idea of this signing
— Elliot Tyler (@ElliotTyler11) June 11, 2019
whether this is true or not i don’t know & can’t say i have seen him play, but you have to commend the club for finally looking at these genuinely promising youngsters who are proving their worth in competitive leagues
— Mike Hare (@mhare641) June 11, 2019
not seen him play but Turkey fans seem impressed????????
— georgewbyer (@georgebyer_) June 11, 2019
Good young 19 year old 15 games played last season….3 goals and only 4 yellows.
— stevie dove (@1Steviend) June 11, 2019
A cheaper fee than for Maripan, but going to be difficult to pull off RT @ed_aarons: Told that West Ham are very interested in signing Ozan Kabak from Stuttgart. Teenage defender has a release clause of £13.2m but also wanted by several German clubs
— El Hombre Verde ⚒️ (@JrTheSavior87) June 11, 2019
Kabak and Diop is an insane CB partnership
— Sam (@SK_arsenal) June 11, 2019