Football
Exclusive: Dortmund Defender Nico Schlotterbeck on Liverpool’s Radar Amid Marc Guehi Uncertainty
Liverpool are considering Nico Schlotterbeck as an alternative to Marc Guehi for a future centre-back replacement. Dortmund may extend his contract to fend off interest from other clubs. Discussions were ongoing before his injury, with a potential salary increase. Dortmund aims to keep their top players but may have to let Schlotterbeck go if a big club comes calling.
Borussia Dortmund v VfL Wolfsburg - Bundesliga by Jan Fromme - firo sportphoto | Getty Images
Liverpool are interested in signing Nico Schlotterbeck if they fail to land top target Marc Guehi next summer, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
The Borussia Dortmund defender has previously been linked with a move to Anfield.
And our sources have been told Schlotterbeck has once again emerged on their centre-back wishlist.
Liverpool convinced Virgil van Djik to sign a contract extension last season, but the Premier League champions are looking for his long-term successor.
A deadline-day move for Crystal Palace captain, and England international, Guehi fell through despite a summer-long pursuit of the player.
He becomes a free agent at the end of the season and could now snub the Merseyside club.
German defender Schlotterbeck recently returned to Dortmund's starting line-up after recovering from an injury he sustained at the back end of last season.
And he has immediately been picked by national team head coach Julian Nagelsmann for World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg (October 10) and Northern Ireland (October 13) during the upcoming international break.
Big Decision
Meanwhile, Dortmund are on the verge of offering Schlotterbeck a contract extension at the club to ward off interest from Europe’s big hitters.
Our sources understand talks between the two parties were ongoing before the left-footed centre-back got injured last season and were agreed to recommence once he returned to full fitness.
It is also understood that Dortmund are willing to “stretch themselves” to keep hold of their biggest assets and are in the process of offering him a long-term deal which would double his current salary.
Schlotterbeck is contracted to the club until 2027 so they will not lose him for free if he does leave this summer.
Talking about the club’s biggest stars, sporting director Sebastien Kehl said: “Of course we want to try to keep these players in the Bundesliga and at Borussia Dortmund. We’ll use all our means and a lot of persuasion to achieve that.”
“Sometimes, if a big club comes along, we will eventually have to say: okay, then you have to go.”
Shane is an experienced sports journalist with over a decade on the front line, covering everything from football to horse racing. A familiar face in the snooker pressroom, his work regularly appears in the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, and Daily Star, alongside SportsBoom.
While snooker is where many readers know him best, cricket is his true sporting passion, though he tends to keep that side of him separate from his professional beat.
A staunch traditionalist, he’s unlikely to share your enthusiasm if you believe The Hundred is the future of Test cricket.