Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl has revealed that the Bundesliga club have yet to find an agreement with Man City target Nico Schlotterbeck over a new contract.
The German international is closing in on the final 18 months of his current deal and reports in the German media claim he is open to leaving his current team. However, Kehl said he is still optimistic that talks will reach a successful conclusion:
“We hope the decision will be positive. But it’s not time yet I know that Nico is giving this a lot of thought, that he feels a strong connection to this club, that this club means a lot to him. That’s why I remain optimistic.”
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“We are trying to create conditions that provide ‘Schlotti’ with an attractive environment. In the end, he wants to be successful and compete for titles. That’s what we all want. And we will also try to act responsibly financially and make everything possible.”
Man City are among 4 clubs pursuing the defender
It was reported in October that Pep Guardiola‘s side, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on Schlotterbeck’s situation.
The 25-year-old is a left-sided centre-back, who can also be deployed as a left-back if required. He would be direct competition for Josko Gvardiol.
Schlotterbeck could earn a much bigger wage elsewhere
The details of Dortmund’s contract offer have been publicly revealed. The German club are believed to have proposed a salary worth €8m [£7m] gross a year, extending his stay until June 2030.
That would be a €2.5m (£2.2m) a year increase on his current wage, but Schlotterbeck would still only be taking home around £135,000 a week, which is a lot less than he could earn at other teams, including City.
Read more about the Man City First Team Squad for 2025/26 here