Real Madrid Transfers: 5 underrated Bundesliga prospects to monitor

FC Schalke 04 CB Ozan Kabak

Over to Borussia Dortmund’s rivals FC Schalke 04 for another young center back who is coming off an even more impressive 2019-2020 season. Ozan Kabak chose the struggling Royal Blues over Milan and Arsenal, and while he didn’t start the season in the XI due to the excellent performances of key veterans Benjamin Stambouli and Salif Sane, injuries to the experienced starters yielded an opportunity for Kabak.

The Turkish center back more than seized his opportunity. Kabak scored goals with his head to continue this record as one of the Bundesliga’s best scoring center backs. And Real Madrid, of course, know the value in having a center back who can score.

Kabak helps the attack in other ways, too. The 20-year-old showed great passing ability, including incisive balls from distance. He was always trying to go for the risky pass to make something happen, even though he was playing in his first season at Schalke.

Liverpool are already showing interest in the Royal Blues’ young star, and they’ve already had great success getting a center back from Gelsenkirchen in Joel Matip. Kabak has all the tools to be even better than Matip, and he does play a lot like the Liverpool superstar he emulates, Virgil van Dijk. Real Madrid would do well to value Kabak highly.