Liverpool are pushing to sign Schalke defender Ozan Kabak, but face a race against time to get the deal over the line before the transfer window closes.

The Reds have sparked into life in the transfer window and are looking to conclude deals for two centre-backs. Preston’s Ben Davies is expected to be one, while Marseille’s Duje Caleta-Car was identified as an option late on Sunday.

However, talks with the French side quickly hit an impasse, with Mohamed Bouhafsi revealing that a deal was now off the table, and sources have confirmed to 90min that negotiations are now underway over a loan deal for Kabak.

A target during the summer, Liverpool have long admired the 20-year-old, who has also played his way onto the radar of Manchester United.

A report from Sky Sports News adds that Liverpool have already made preparations for Kabak to undergo a medical in Germany, but it could all come down to whether Schalke can find a replacement before the Bundesliga window closes at 17:00 (GMT).

Schalke have identified their preferred target, but there is no guarantee that they will be able to get a deal over the line in time, particularly as they will not be pocketing much money from Liverpool if they do loan out Kabak.

The Reds are keen to pay a loan fee of around £2.5m and pick up the option to sign Kabak permanently in the summer, but Schalke are yet to accept the bid as they are focused on finding an alternative.

Kabak has been one of the shining lights in what has been an otherwise disappointing season for Schalke. They currently sit bottom of the Bundesliga table, having picked up just eight points from 19 games, but their young defender has definitely stood out.

He was expected to be one of Liverpool’s targets at the end of the season, but with Jurgen Klopp’s injury crisis showing no sign of easing up, the Reds have been forced into action earlier than expected.

Fabinho and Joel Matip have both battled injuries recently, while the returns of both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are still far down the line, forcing Klopp to play midfielder Jordan Henderson alongside Nat Phillips in Sunday’s 3-1 win over West Ham.

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