2 weeks ago
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Nico Schlotterbeck has been issued an ultimatum by Borussia Dortmund, with the Bundesliga team making it clear that it won't hang about "indefinitely" while he deliberates over a fresh contract amid mounting transfer interest from elsewhere, including Premier League champion Liverpool.
The German center-back, who is being viewed as a potential replacement for Virgil van Dijk, still has two years remaining on his existing agreement, though Dortmund is eager to secure one of its key assets on a longer-term basis. The matter has become increasingly complex due to rival clubs circling the 25-year-old, who remains undecided about his next move.
Dortmund is understood to have put forward an offer that would see Schlotterbeck's wages rocket to approximately €8 million ($9.3 million) - effectively tripling his current earnings.
Yet with Liverpool and Bayern Munich both monitoring developments closely, Dortmund's sporting director Lars Ricken has made it abundantly clear to the defender that the club's patience isn't unlimited.
Speaking to Bild about the ongoing saga, Ricken commented: "It is his absolute right to plan his future carefully. We respect that.
"And I believe that the focus should not be on salary, but on prospects, trust, and conviction."
Nevertheless, he was quick to emphasize: "We will not rush into anything. But of course, we don't want to drag it out indefinitely. Everyone is aware of that."
With the future of Schlotterbeck uncertain, Liverpool could be closely monitoring the situation as 2026 draws near.
The Reds' defence is somewhat thin after missing out on a summer deal for Marc Guehi, and with Giovanni Leoni - a summer signing from Parma - expected to spend a year out due to an ACL injury.
Even if Liverpool doesn't sign Schlotterbeck, the club is expected to re-enter the transfer market in 2026 for a center-back. Speculation has already begun that the club may reignite its interest in Guehi, either in January or at the end of the 2025-26 season, when he will likely be available on a free transfer.
However, earlier reports this year suggested that Schlotterbeck had been earmarked as a potential long-term replacement for Van Dijk.
Liverpool's skipper, 34, recently put pen to paper on a new two-year contract which extends until 2027.
While he continues to be a towering presence in Arne Slot's squad, it would be prudent for the Premier League champion to start preparing for life post-Van Dijk.
Since joining the Reds from Southampton at the beginning of the January transfer window in 2018, Van Dijk has clocked up over 300 appearances, clinching two Premier League titles, the Champions League, and both the Carabao and FA Cups.
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