Nico Schlotterbeck and his future at Borussia Dortmund is not entirely clear with the Germany international seeing his deal expire in 2027.
It is the worst-kept secret on Merseyside that Liverpool are in the market for defensive reinforcements, especially after the failure to land Marc Guehi on deadline day last summer.
Hopes of a January defensive addition was dealt a blow this week, however. Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner effectively shut the door on Guehi, stating categorically that the England international is expected to remain at Selhurst Park for the remainder of the season. With the Guehi option off the table for the winter window, attention naturally pivoted back to other targets.
DaveOCKOP already exclusively revealed that Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck is an option firmly on the club’s shortlist.
Liverpool has been in dialogue with representatives who are working on bringing the German defender to Merseyside and dialogue has been positive.
But if the Reds were hoping to swoop for the German international, Borussia Dortmund are doing everything in their power to make it difficult.
According to a report from Sport Bild, Dortmund chiefs have launched a massive offensive to keep their star defender. The club is reportedly ready to make Schlotterbeck the highest-paid player in the squad, putting a contract offer on the table worth up to €14 million (£11.6m) per season including bonuses. This would double is current estimated earnings at Signal Iduna Park.
This “all-in” approach culminated in a summit meeting led by Dortmund’s managing director for sport, Lars Ricken. Ricken reportedly sat down with Schlotterbeck prior to the recent Champions League clash against Bodø/Glimt to outline a clear vision: Dortmund remains maximally ambitious, and they want Schlotterbeck to be the face of that ambition as the undisputed leader of the defence.
Convincing the 26-year-old of that ambition might be the harder part of the negotiation. Schlotterbeck has not been shy about voicing his frustrations with the team’s inconsistency.
Following a 2-2 draw with Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League on December 10, the defender gave a candid interview where his dissatisfaction with the team’s underperformance was clear. He wants to compete for major honours, and draws against perceived lesser opposition clearly do not align with his personal trajectory.
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