Schlotterbeck On The Radar Of Big Clubs
For the first few months of the season, Borussia Dortmund’s defence looked anything but assured; leaking silly goals in multiple games, particularly in the Champions League though, due to their attacking prowess they got away with this most of the time.
Over the last few weeks, they look a lot more solid having recorded a handful of clean sheets and arguably, the biggest reason for this is Germany international centre-back, Nico Schlotterbeck, who is undoubtedly the heartbeat of the team’s rearguard.
As such, it has come as no surprise to many that he is reportedly wanted by many of Europe’s top clubs, including Real Madrid, Liverpool and fierce rivals Bayern Munich.
Release Clause Could See Centre Back Sold
It is understood that Schlotterbeck’s contract has a release clause in it of between €50 million and €60 million with the Spanish giants and the Reds only two of a few clubs being who this applies to.
🚨👀 Now confirmed, as revealed yesterday on our show Transfer Update: Liverpool (alongside Real Madrid) are also one of the few clubs that can activate a release clause for Nico Schlotterbeck this summer. The fee is around €50-60 million. #LFC
The release clause is not valid… pic.twitter.com/PZqa0OWN5s
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) April 14, 2026
This, though, is only believed to be in place until around the time of the World Cup final, which means any suitors would need to act quickly, with the 26-year-old highly likely to be an important figure in Germany’s campaign this summer.
It is, of course, unlikely that Dortmund fans would want to see him leave, though a big part of the club’s strategy over the last few years has been selling one of their big stars each summer to help sustain the club and reinvest in younger talent.
Having seen a number of players leave for bitter foes, Bayern over the years; perhaps the most painful being Robert Lewandowski on a free transfer, no less, the club will no doubt be keen to avoid this, though should the likely Bundesliga winners be keen to pursue a deal, they may make an offer that is too good to turn down.
Although, it could be that the player wants to test himself in another league; both Los Blancos and Liverpool are big draws, though much will depend on who is going to be in charge of Liverpool next season with manager Arne Slot’s future in doubt. However, it is no secret that they both want and need a centre-back and they could comfortably meet the release clause.
Who Would Replace Him?
Regardless of whether Dortmund sell Schlotterbeck for his release clause or higher, there is no doubt this is more than enough to bring in one, if not two replacements for him. Over the years, the club’s model has been scouting young players with potential, often from smaller German clubs or parts of Eastern Europe, and they have had plenty of joy with this.
Of course, the club may already have a replacement for him in their ranks. It is understood the highly talented Italian, Filippo Mane, is next in line, though the 21-year-old is predominantly right footed, so wouldn’t be a ‘natural’ replacement.
At 17 years old, Arthur Prates is the ‘one to watch’, being left-footed and will officially sign this summer, from Cruzeiro, Brazil for €12 million . He’s quick, reads the game well and can also play at left-back, though it could be one year too soon.
