Borussia Dortmund have managed to tie Nico Schlotterbeck down to a new and improved contract amid widespread interest.
Fabrizio Romano confirmed in a ‘breaking’ update on Friday that the defender has become one of the ‘best paid’ players at Dortmund after penning a deal until June 2031.
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Nico Schlotterbeck extends Dortmund stay to 2031
It’s perhaps more of a rarity for Dortmund to be able to fend off major European suitors for their talents in the lead-up to a window, but persuading Schlotterbeck to commit his future to the Westfalenstadion came after he had been targeted by Manchester United, Liverpool and Real Madrid.
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The sides had shortlisted the 26-year-old due to his original deal expiring in June 2027, hence being prepared to test Dortmund’s resolve this summer with cut-price bids.
However, the Bundesliga outfit would now have the strongest negotiating position if any clubs did want to submit offers in the coming months.
Why United are in the market for a centre-back
While a centre-half isn’t a priority for United at the moment, you can understand INEOS wanting to plan ahead, especially with Harry Maguire having just turned 33 and both Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt enduring injury-plagued seasons.
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De Ligt hasn’t featured since November due to a back problem, and Martinez has been limited to just 14 Premier League appearances; originally due to his recovery from a cruciate ligament tear, and more recently through a calf injury sustained in training.
Ayden Heaven (19) and Leny Yoro (20), while highly-rated, up-and-coming talents, are still getting to grips with the English top flight, so they couldn’t be deployed alongside one another for an entire campaign just yet.
What’s more, the prospective addition of Champions League football next season only increases the need for depth across all areas of the squad.
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