With Virgil van Dijk yet to sign a new contract, Liverpool have reportedly turned their attention towards a Bundesliga defender in search of replacing their towering centre-back.
Liverpool trio may have played their last Champions League game at Anfield
Having been dumped out of the Champions League on penalties by Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool will be desperately hoping that their week only gets better with the Carabao Cup final awaiting against Newcastle United this Sunday. Whilst the mood around Arne Slot's side will perhaps be at its most sombre point, they can't ask for a better chance to bounce back than by securing silverware at Wembley.
What will only add to the Anfield misery is the fact that, as things stand, that will be that for Mohamed Salah, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold in a Liverpool shirt in European competition. All three are yet to sign new deals and all three remain on course to become free agents in what should be Liverpool's worst nightmare.
Those in Merseyside are seemingly already planning for the worst too. According to Bild in Germany, Liverpool now hold serious interest in signing Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund and are willing to offer €50m (£42m) to sign the 6 foot 3 defender.
Liverpool-PSG-Champions-League Related
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Liverpool exit the Champions League in the last 16 after losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.
Now 25 years old and entering the peak of his powers as a central defender, Schlotterbeck has dropped off alongside the rest of his Dortmund teammates after an excellent campaign saw them reach the Champions League final last time out. Ultimately, the Bundesliga giants suffered heartbreak courtesy of Real Madrid, but nothing can take away from how impressive they were on the road to the final.
One season on from that heartbreak, Schlotterbeck could seemingly get the chance to move on and take up an impossible Anfield task.
"Great" Schlotterbeck is better on the ball than Van Dijk
Replacing any of the big three will be no easy task this summer, but replacing Van Dijk will be Liverpool's toughest job. It will arguably be their own mission impossible. The Dutchman is one of the most flawless central defenders that the Premier League has ever seen and, simply put, there may not be an available option around Europe capable of replicating that right from the off.
nico-schlotterbeck-borussia-dortmund
The Reds and Schlotterbeck could certainly try their best, however. His towering height would go a long way towards replacing Van Dijk's aerial ability, whilst the stats even suggest that the defender may be a star in waiting when it comes to his on-ball work.
Nico Schlotterbeck per 90 Rank in big 5 leagues Virgil van Dijk per 90 Rank in big 5 leagues
0.11 assists 98th percentile 0.02 assists 55th percentile
7.82 progressive passes 99th percentile 4.86 progressive passes 82nd percentile
1.67 progressive carries 95th percentile 0.53 progressive carries 45th percentile
1.85 shot-creating actions 98th percentile 1.17 shot-creating actions 80th percentile
The numbers make for incredibly impressive reading, especially in a struggling Dortmund side. What instantly stands out is how well Schlotterbeck progresses play, outperforming Van Dijk in that department. Previously dubbed "great" by former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann, the 25-year-old could provide quite the shock by replacing Van Dijk and thriving this summer.