Good pressing instincts
Authoritative in the air
Capable of turning defence into attack with his passing

Our coaches give their insight into Ozan Kabak, one of two new central defenders recruited by Liverpool in January #LFC

(1/10) Kabak is particularly good at straying from his team’s defensive line to compete for possession. His pressing instincts mean he effectively judges whether to retain his position, or whether to commit to a duel, cover behind a teammate or even contribute in midfield #LFC

(2/10) His upper-body strength complements his abilities when duelling and when defending wide, when he uses his arms and when his build helps him to move across his opponent or to block and shield the ball until clearing or until a suitable passing option emerges #LFC

(3/10) As is perhaps to be expected of a right-footed player of his age, he is more confident when duelling and tackling with his right foot, even if that means stretching to make contact with the ball #LFC

(4/10) He is similarly authoritative in the air, where he aggressively attacks balls dropping just in front of defensive lines, defends against crosses, or challenges closer to the halfway line #LFC

(5/10) With the ball at his feet he favours combining with teammates through the right inside channel, or switching play towards the left wing #LFC

(6/10) If attempting lengthier passes towards the right he targets the spaces between the opposing full-back and central defender; regardless of the target of his passes he is capable of using them to transform defence into attack #LFC

(7/10) If instead playing shorter, he demonstrates a variety of pass and then continues to support possession, and at a high tempo #LFC

(8/10) His accuracy needs to continue to improve, but his speed of pass is consistent, and contributes to him breaking lines #LFC

(9/10) He also needs to improve when he is defending from more central areas, when he can struggle against attackers capable of turning and accelerating at a speed he cannot match if his press isn’t sufficient #LFC

(10/10) From inside the penalty area his desire to be prepared to block shots also means he too regularly commits, and therefore that subtly moving the ball to one side can beat him. Opponents also seek to force him to defend on his less-favoured left foot #LFC