> Barcelona’s plans to strengthen their defence have suffered a clear setback, with a new report from CER revealing that competition for Nico Schlotterbeck is intensifying. According to the update, the likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich have now entered the race, significantly complicating Barcelona’s pursuit of the Borussia Dortmund defender.
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> Barcelona’s interest in Schlotterbeck is not new. The club has been actively studying the market for a top-level centre-back, but a January move has already been ruled out. Instead, the Blaugrana are working with a longer-term plan, targeting the summer of 2026 to make a decisive defensive signing. Within that strategy, Schlotterbeck has emerged as one of the most highly rated options on the internal shortlist.
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> Reports suggest an extension is unlikely, which explains why his name continues to be linked with several European heavyweights, including Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and even Real Madrid. For Dortmund, they may be forced to choose between selling Schlotterbeck while his value remains high or risking him running down his contract and leaving for free in the future.