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Liverpool left him late on the transfer deadline day, but Jurgen Klopp signed two center-backs to bolster his defense.
[ MORE: All of the January transfer deals ]
That sound you can hear is Klopp screaming with glee, as he dealt with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, all injured this season, while makeshift center-back Fabinho also recently suffered an injury.
For the transfer deadline of February 1, you can watch Sky Sports News for free on Peacock starting at 8 a.m. ET, in addition, we will have a special on the day of the transfer deadline on NBCSN and online via NBCSports.com 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET.
Let’s focus on the two center-backs Liverpool have signed.
Ben Davies in Liverpool
Ben Davies has joined second-tier Preston North End for a fee that could reach $ 2.1 million. As part of the deal, young Liverpool center-back Sepp van den Berg will also travel to Preston on loan for the remainder of the season.
Davies, 25, is widely regarded as the championship’s best center-back and has just six months left on his current contract at Preston. He was free to speak to clubs outside of England this month about signing a pre-contract deal and it was believed he would sign for Celtic, with Bournemouth also interested.
“It’s a huge opportunity. Obviously it was a bit of a surprise at first, but once you start to understand, the opportunity presented to me is incredible. I would be a fool not to make the most of it and learn from the players [at the club]Davies said. “I can’t wait to come and play in front of everyone and show everyone what I can do. I’m sure a lot of fans and people don’t know [me], or didn’t even see me play. It’s a really exciting time and I think they’ll enjoy watching me a lot when I’m playing well.
However, Liverpool have made their choice and the England center-back is expected to suit his style of play very well and is left-handed giving him a nice balanced option they haven’t had since Dejan Lovren left the summer latest.
Not only is Davies an aggressive center-back who enjoys coming out of the backline to make tackles and blocks, he also reads the game well and has an impressive range of long passes.
Davies will likely be an upgrade on Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams, Liverpool’s other center-back options, and he is able to fit right into the squad. Considering the financial issues, even for a club like Liverpool this is a very good deal and meets their needs.
The deal for Ozan Kabak at Liverpool also ended
UPDATE: Liverpool have confirmed their capture of Turkey international Ozan Kabak, 20. The deal will initially be a loan ($ 2 million fee), with the Reds holding a $ 25 million option to make the transfer permanent.
It’s official! 😎@ ozankabak4 joins us on loan of @ s04 until the end of the season 👊
– Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 1, 2021
Our Sky Sports partners in Germany broke the news that Kabak had agreed to join Liverpool on loan, while Schalke agreed to the terms with a $ 25million option to buy this summer also agreed.
Our partners in Germany also say that Klopp’s good friend David Wagner has advised Liverpool to sign the center-back. Wagner trained Kabak in Schalke.
Schalke has lined up Shkodran Mustafi to replace Kabak, as Arsenal center-back has signed a six-month contract as he no longer has a contract at Emirates Stadium this summer.
Kabak has been linked with a move to Liverpool in the past and the Turkey international has a lot of promise but has seen his confidence shattered as Schalke finds himself at the bottom of the Bundesliga table as they are in dire financial straits .
With Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk returning from injuries in late spring / early summer, these moves from Davies and Kobak suggest that Joel Matip and Nat Phillips should probably look elsewhere for a club, while Rhys Williams and Sepp van den Berg are still far from becoming regulars.
Klopp will now have Davies and Kabak available to play straight away, and Liverpool will still believe they are in the title race after suffering a huge mid-season swing due to their defensive injuries which affect the balance of the season. ‘team. They now have defensive cover, and that’s the key.
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