Manchester United have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck, after it was confirmed that he had signed a new contract with the Bundesliga club.
United might not be prioritising a move to sign a new centre-back in the summer transfer window, but it wouldn't be a surprise if they did make a move.
The Manchester club might be looking to find a long-term replacement for Harry Maguire in the near future, but the England international recently signed a new deal at the club, as his contract was set to expire in the summer.
Despite Maguire staying at Old Trafford, United could be left short of centre-backs, with Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez struggling with injury issues this season.
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Man Utd Dealt Centre-Back Blow
Nico Schlotterbeck celebrating after scoring for Borussia Dortmund
Manchester United have been dealt a major blow in their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund defender Schlotterbeck, described as 'elite', ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Bundesliga club recently confirmed that the defender has signed a new deal, keeping him at Dortmund until 2031.
Reports claimed earlier this month that United were interested in signing Schlotterbeck in the summer, with the German defender available for a reasonable fee if he didn't put pen to paper on a new contract in Germany.
It's back to the drawing board for United, but they might not even sign an alternative.
Centre-Back Signing Can Wait for Man Utd
harry maguire
Although an additional centre-back in the summer transfer window would certainly be beneficial, thanks to Maguire signing a new deal, it's not a necessity.
United can put their focus, and money, into other positions that are more of a priority, and bringing in a new defender can wait until next summer.
Signing a new midfielder was always going to be the number one priority, and any other addition would be a bonus.
United solved their forward situation last summer, bringing in three new attackers, while they also added a new goalkeeper, and their squad is in a strong position at the moment.