Liverpool have been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck this summer, but Real Madrid are reportedly rivalling them.
The improved form of Virgil van Dik and Ibrahima Konate has been a major plus for the Reds of late, with the former hailing the latter last month:
“Obviously I want him to stay. He’s an important figure on the pitch. That’s what everyone sees but off the pitch as well, he’s one of the leaders. He’s outstanding and in my eyes, a world-class centre back. I can do only so much but it’s in the club’s hands, together with his agents and himself so let’s see what comes out of it but I have no influence otherwise on that.”
But centre-back reinforcements remain a must for Liverpool, with Konate not yet signing a new deal, Gomez potentially leaving and Giovanni Leoni working his way back from a serious knee injury.
Now, Mundo Deportivo claim that Madrid are keen on signing rumoured Reds target Schlotterbeck in the summer transfer window.
The £43.8m-rated Germany international is seen as an option to replace David Alaba at the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of the season.
Is Nico Schlotterbeck Liverpool’s strongest centre-back option?
Schlotterbeck is such an impressive central defender, with he and Jonathan Tah being lauded by Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann ahead of being a likely starter for his country at the 2026 World Cup this summer:
“I think they’ve done a very good job and are very consistent in the league. Jona had a difficult start at Bayern, but since then he’s been very stable. And Schlotti, as I’ve already said, is an extremely important player for us.”
He feels like a leading option for Liverpool, with the Dortmund ace a classy footballer in possession and also a threat in the final third, scoring four goals in the Bundesliga this season.
At 26 years of age, he is at a fantastic point in his career to come straight in as a key starter, or at least push Van Dijk and Konate hard for minutes, and his price tag is also far from extortionate.