Liverpool have reportedly made a breakthrough in negotiations with Schalke 04 for defender Ozan Kabak.

The Reds have been locked in talks with the Bundesliga side over the 20-year-old centre-back for most of deadline day.

Kabak, who has appeared 40 times for Schalke in the German top flight since joining from Stuttgart in 2019, is believed to have already agreed personal terms.

However, with time ticking down to this evening's transfer cut-off point, the Premier League champions were growing concerned about a deal failing to go through, supposedly seeing them line up Braga's David Carmo as an alternative.

The delay is thought to have centred around an option-to-buy clause in Kabak's contract, but The Athletic reporter James Pearce suggests that an agreement has now been reached.

It is claimed that Liverpool will pay a £1m loan fee for the Turkey international, with a £500,000 bonus to follow depending on how many appearances he makes between now and the end of the season.

Jurgen Klopp's men, who have been without regular centre-backs Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk for the majority of 2020-21, will then have the right to buy Kabak for £18m in the summer.

Preston North End's Ben Davies is also expected to finalise a switch to Anfield on Monday, regardless of any further developments in the Kabak talks.