Liverpool are expected to be in the summer transfer market for a central defender or two this year, and having lost out on Marc Guehi to Manchester City in the winter, the club are having to redo the groundwork for a new signing all over again.
Ekrem Konur has reported that Liverpool are keen on signing Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck in the summer. Real Madrid have also been keeping an eye on the German international, who is set to cost roughly £45 million this year.
Dortmund are believed to be willing to sell him, having slashed his price by approximately £15 million, after the 26-year-old turned down a contract extension at the club as he seeks to pursue a new challenge sooner rather than later.
Liverpool expected to have upper hand over Madrid
In a race for Nico Schlotterbeck’s signing against Real Madrid, Liverpool are expected to have the upper hand, mainly due to the first-team role that they can offer to the player, unlike the 15-time European champions.
Virgil van Dijk’s age and Ibrahima Konate’s impeding free agency means Liverpool need a regular option to play in their backline and Schlotterbeck fits the bill with his brilliant passing from the back, defensive awareness and aerial and physical strengths.
At Real Madrid, the Borussia Dortmund centre back would need to compete for minutes for Dean Huijsen and Raul Asencio, whereas Eder Militao is also expected to be fully fit soon, even if Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba leave in the summer.
Nonetheless, the European giants have trumped Liverpool to several signings during the last few years and though the game time factors gives the Reds an upper hand, it would be wise for them to have more options on their shortlist besides Schlotterbeck.
