VfB Stuttgart sporting director confirms Ozan Kabak will leave the club

VfB Stuttgart sporting director Sven Mislintat has confirmed that defender Ozan Kabak will leave the club this summer after the Swabians were relegated to the 2. Liga by virtue of losing to Union Berlin in the two-legged playoff. The 19-year-old Turkish international was originally brought in to Stuttgart from Galatasaray in January of this year for a fee of €11 million on a contract that runs through June 2024. His contract, however, contains a rescission clause of €15 million, which could be activated by any buying club.

Schalke, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, and even the Premier League’s West Ham United have shown keen interest in acquiring Kabak’s services, but he might also be a decent option for Bayern, which could perhaps offer the most attractive package for the youngster. Turkish outlet Hurriyet has reported that Kabak and his agent are aiming to make their final decision by the end of the month and have a transfer finalized before the beginning of July, so that he can have a full preseason with whatever team he ultimately joins.

BFW Analysis — Is Kabak a good fit for Bayern?

Mats Hummels has already left to return to Borussia Dortmund and Jerome Boateng’s future with Bayern is still unclear at this point — those are the facts. Yes, Bayern has already signed two defenders in Benjamin Pavard from Stuttgart and Lucas Hernandez from Atletico Madrid, but Kabak could also prove to be a valuable addition to the squad if Bayern pull the trigger on him. He is only 19-years-old, but he’s already proven himself to be one of the toughest center-backs in Germany, despite the Swabians’ relegation.

Joining in the winter transfer window from Galatasaray, Kabak made a total of 17 appearances for Stuttgart, including the playoff legs against Union Berlin. When he joined, Stuttgart were already flirting with the drop zone and you could hardly blame him for the amount of goals they were conceding.

Kabak scored three goals in his 17 appearances and was quickly regarded as one of the Bundesliga’s most promising defenders. He was the league’s rookie of the month for the month of March, largely in part for the brace he scored in one half against Hannover 96 and he was also up for the Bundesliga’s Rookie of the Year award.

If Boateng ultimately leaves, Bayern’s options in defense could quickly become much thinner. David Alaba, Joshua Kimmich, Niklas Sule, Pavard, Hernandez and Lars Lukas Mai would be the most prominent first-team candidates. If one of them were to pick up an injury, Niko Kovac could find himself in a bit of a back-line dilemma, assuming Kabak doesn’t come to the club.

If, however, Kabak comes to Bayern, he could be the perfect type of utility defender to play alongside either Sule, Hernandez, Pavard, or whoever else starts at center-back. Kabak has a strong physical presence, is fearless in his challenges, hungry for success, and had an incredibly high ceiling.

What’s everyone think? Would Kabak be a positive signing for Bayern for €15 million?