There is often a pattern seen among players who are not in the Premier League and do not play for Barcelona or Real Madrid that despite their obvious potential or talent, they do not get talked about as much as some of the players who play for these clubs do.
One amazing example of this is Alessandro Bastoni. The Italian has been absolutely elite for Inter Milan for the better part of the last half-decade and yet, apart from avid Serie A watchers, he hardly gets spoken about in the same breath as some top-class center-backs in the world.
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Similarly, one other player who suffers the same kind of treatment is Borussia Dortmund central defender Nico Schlotterbeck.
The 25-year-old has been consistently impressive for a while now and as per BILD [press image at the end], Liverpool are willing to pay well over £42million to sign the talented defender.
Schlotterbeck is the typical definition of a modern-day defender. He has already won 18-caps for Germany despite being second-choice to Toni Rudiger and Jonathan Tah.
Predominantly a center-back, the left-footed German can also do a job at left-back if it comes to that. In 35 games across all competitions so far this season, Schlotterbeck has registered four assists and been a shining light in a struggling Dortmund team. He featured in BvB’s victory over Lille in the Champions League last night.
This average campaign of the Yellow-Blacks could see some sacrifices made in the summer but Bild state that Dortmund would love to extend the contract of the 25-year-old, 1.91m-tall, defender with his current deal expiring in 2027.
Virgil van Dijk replacement?
Virgil van Dijk continues to shine at the highest level for Liverpool but his contract at Anfield runs down at the end of the season and there is no clarity (YET) on whether or not the club captain will put pen to paper on a new contract.
Irrespective of whether he does sign a new deal or not, the Dutchman is 33 and might not be able to play at this level for much longer. Liverpool need a long-term successor, and Schlotterbeck has everything it takes to fill the gigantic shoes.
Being left-footed gives him an edge as he can perfectly partner with Ibrahima Konate in the long run and lead the backline.
With the Dortmund star’s ball-playing abilities coupled with the Frenchman’s pure physicality, this is a center-back pairing that would complement each other very well, at least on paper.
Comparing Schlotterbeck's numbers to that of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool (Source: DataMB)
Comparing Schlotterbeck’s numbers to that of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool (Source: DataMB)
There is a saying that stats don’t tell you the full story but in this instance, it gives a clear indication of what Liverpool can expect from Schlotterbeck.
For starters, he is clearly a cheat code in build-up, both due to his high progressive passes volume and his ball-carrying ability.
Nico Schlotterbeck’s ball-playing stats are a joke (Source: DataMB)
Schlotterbeck ranks amongst the very best in the world in the top 5 leagues, averaging close to 75 touches per game and attempting nearly 15 progressive passes per 90. The touches metric is bound to increase if he plays for an even more possession-based side like Liverpool.
He might not be as strong in duels as Van Dijk but he still outshines Konate in this department. The potential is certainly there for him to be the Dutchman’s replacement.
With the direction in which modern football is heading, having a ball-playing defender might prove to be transformative for a possession-based system like that of Slot’s.
Let’s wait and see if Liverpool make an offer and try to bring Schlotterbeck to Anfield ahead of next season.
Bild - Liverpool Schlotterbeck