Ozan Kabak 2019/20 – scout report

19-year-old Ozan Kabak was for sure one of the most surprising newcomers in last year’s Bundesliga. The Turkish centre-back was transferred in the winter transfer period from Galatasaray to Stuttgart and quickly managed to become an important piece. However, as Stuttgart were not able to avoid relegation, Kabak activated an exit clause in his contract to pursue a move to Schalke, who reportedly paid 15 million euros for the youngster.

This tactical analysis will provide analysis in this scout report and explain, why Schalke paid so much money for Kabak. Furthermore, possibilities for improvement will be shown.

Good positioning and aggressive tackles

Talking about Kabak’s defensive skills, what stands out is his positioning. You would rarely see Kabak out of position. When defending long balls or crosses, he is able to anticipate the situation early on and take the necessary positioning.

In this situation, he is able to defend a cross. Besides the mentioned overall good positioning, it is worth noting that Kabak’s body positioning is great as well. Standing sideways, he is going to receive the ball perfectly on his right foot in order to cleanly clear the ball.