The upcoming January transfer window could prove fascinating for Liverpool, as debate continues to swirl around the need for defensive reinforcements following Giovanni Leoni’s devastating ACL injury.
With the young centre-back now sidelined for the season, speculation is mounting over whether the club will look to strengthen at the back in response to this setback.
'Virgil Van Dijk is the world's best defender, playing in the toughest league', says soccer icon Alessandro NestaOf course, the failure to land Marc Guehi on deadline day in the summer becomes even more regrettable for Arne Slot’s men.
Furthermore, the Crystal Palace defender is now being seriously tracked by both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich as a free transfer – meaning the Anfield club now won’t have a free run at him as seemed the case in the summer.
That’s why the Liverpool recruitment staff are continuing to do their due diligence on potential alternatives, and one of them is Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck.
It can confirmed that the club have been in dialogue with representatives who are working on bringing the German defender and dialogue has been positive.
One look at the German international’s underlying statistics showcases why Arne Slot would be keen on the defender.
His combination of progressive passing out of the back and tenacity in defence means he is the perfect profile for a modern centre-back:
The 25-year-old has impressed since his €30 million move from Freiburg in 2023, emerging as one of Europe’s most complete centre-backs.
Nico Schlotterbeck has since racked up over 100 appearances for Dortmund, as well as earning 20 caps for Germany since his debut in March 2024.
Meanwhile, the German club are seemingly aware of the interest bubbling around their talent.
According to Sport BILD, Dortmund are looking to extend the contract of Schlotterbeck with improved wages – reportedly willing to offer least €8m with performance bonuses potentially pushing it past €9m.
His current deal expires in June 2027.
Talks are at an early stage and Liverpool are weighing up numerous players who could fit as a new centre back at Anfield.