Fulham 2-2 Liverpool: Match Review
Liverpool are among the clubs who have been linked with Borussia Dortmund and Germany international Nico Schlotterbeck.
A centre-back linked with a move to Liverpool continues to stall on signing a new contract at his current club.
Meanwhile, the Reds require a long-term successor for Virgil van Dijk, who will be aged 36 when his contract expires in 2027. In addition, Joe Gomez has had injury problems over the past few years and Giovanni Leoni ruptured his ACL on his Reds debut in September. The 19-year-old is ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.
What’s been said
Dortmund have been in discussions with Schlotterbeck over penning fresh terms. But the club's sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, has confessed that he is still trying to persuade Schlotterbeck, who has made 18 appearances this season, to stay.
“I think it would be really difficult to come up with new arguments in every conversation,” Kehl said via German newspaper BILD. “Of course, we try to convince him – with all the power this club has, and I believe also with the appreciation the boy feels, with the goals we want to achieve together. We want to show him a perspective that makes sense for him. We don't sit down together every day. These kinds of topics need time to mature.
"He has naturally given this break some thought, and we spoke about it beforehand. We will continue to talk. But otherwise, to be honest, there's no new information at the moment. It's clear that we want to continue. But no decision has been made yet."
What Nico Schlotterbeck has said on his future
Speaking on his future earlier this season, Schlotterbeck insisted that he was under ‘no pressure’ to make a decision over his future.
Via Bullinews, Schlotterbeck said: “I have a contract at Dortmund for more than one and a half years. My agent and I are going to discuss my future, but we’re under no pressure. I feel very good at Dortmund, and Niko has already shown a path here that is fun and exciting for the future. My next contract is very important for my career, so I really want to make the right decision. My agent won’t talk publicly about it - we’ll see what happens.”
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