Liverpool have been linked to signing a Bundesliga defender in the summer, who could be the long-term Van Dijk replacement.
It seems wrong to talk about replacing Virgil Van Dijk, as Liverpool just came off a 1-0 win against Sunderland, in which the Dutch defender scored the only goal of the game. It leaves Arne Slot’s side sixth in the Premier League table, three points off the top four.
However, Van Dijk is now 34-years-old, and his contract at Anfield is due to expire at the end of next season, so the Reds need to find their next long-term leader at centre-back.
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They had hoped for Marc Guehi, but as he joined Man City in January, Liverpool now needs to consider alternatives, and that has linked them to Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck.
Schlotterbeck ‘hesitant’ to sign new Dortmund contract
Schlotterbeck has been on Liverpool’s radar all season long, as the German international’s contract is due to expire in June 2027, much like Van Dijk’s. Due to his market value sitting at around £48m at the age of 26, Dortmund won’t want him to leave as a free agent, so could sell him in the summer.
According to German outlet Bild, Dortmund are hoping to offer Schlotterbeck a contract extension with a yearly salary of £12m. However, the report itself says that the player is ‘hesitant’ to sign a new deal at the Signal Iduna Park.
Because the defender is hesitant, this will put Liverpool on alert, as they could swoop in and try to sign him in the summer, before he signs a new deal at Dortmund. Real Madrid are also understood to be interested in the 26-year-old.
What other centre-backs are Liverpool looking at?
In terms of other potential Van Dijk replacements for the Reds, they could opt for a younger option instead, with Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez having been linked for several months now. He was very strongly linked to Liverpool in January.
Ordonez, 21, has made 28 appearances for Brugge so far this season, and can play both as a centre-back, or a right-back, which would be perfect for Liverpool right now. However, Crystal Palace are understood to be keen on him as their replacement for Guehi too.
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