Nico Schlotterbeck: Borussia Dortmund defender responds to Liverpool interest after ‘flawless’ performance against Bayern Munich

Nico Schlotterbeck has justified Liverpool’s interest in him by producing a solid performance against Bayern Munich, with the Borussia Dortmund star also suggesting whether he would be open to a move to Anfield in 2026 and linking up with manager Arne Slot.

With Ibrahima Konate out of contract at the end of the season and Marc Guehi now the subject of interest from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Liverpool have widened their search for a new centre-back, with the defending Premier League champions keen on a deal for Schlotterbeck.

According to DaveOKop, a Liverpool-centric news outlet, Liverpool have already held ‘positive’ talks with Schlotterbeck’s agents.

German publication Bild has backed that claim, revealing that Liverpool are ready to bid for the Germany international centre-back in the January transfer window.

Journalist David Lynch is another reliable source who has reported Liverpool’s interest in Schlotterbeck, adding that the defending Premier League champions have scouted the 25-year-old.

Schlotterbeck, who is under contract at Borussia Dortmund until the summer of 2027, is one of the best centre-backs in the Bundesliga, and he once again demonstrated that on Saturday evening.

Despite Dortmund losing 2-1 to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in the Bundesliga, Schlotterbeck’s performance in ‘Der Klassiker’ was hugely impressive.

The 25-year-old started on the left of a three-man centre-back defensive unit, as Dortmund lined up in a 3-4-2-1 formation.

BuliNews gave Schlotterbeck 8 out of 10 in their Player Ratings and noted: ‘Calm and collected as always.

‘Was involved whenever Dortmund looked to play the ball forward and made several impressive defensive interventions.

‘His sliding tackle to deny Michael Olise a shot from a promising position in the second half was flawless.’

Get Football News Germany rated Schlotterbeck 7 out of 10 against defending Bundesliga champions Bayern.

The National also gave the defender 7 out of 10 and observed: ‘Improved in the second half as he looked to help Dortmund take better care of the ball in transition from the back.

‘A big moment also saw him make a crucial tackle on Olise, who was about to strike at goal on his favoured left foot.’

According to WhoScored, Schlotterbeck took one shot, which was not on target, had a pass accuracy of 79%, won two headers, and took 78 touches.

The Dortmund defender also made four tackles, two interceptions and four clearances against Bayern.

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Nico Schlotterbeck responds to Liverpool rumours

Schlotterbeck is well aware of the interest in him, with Liverpool not the only club that are after him.

According to Bild journalist Christian Falk, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are also interested in Schlotterbeck.

After the match against Bayern, Schlotterbeck addressed those rumours and said, as quoted in BuliNews: “I have a contract at Dortmund for more than one and a half years.

“My agent and I are going to discuss my future, but we’re under no pressure.

“I feel very good at Dortmund, and (manager) Niko (Kovac) has already shown a path here that is fun and exciting for the future.

“My next contract is very important for my career, so I really want to make the right decision.”

The 25-year-old added: “My agent won’t talk publicly about it – we’ll see what happens.”

Reflecting on Dortmund’s defeat to Bayern, Schlotterbeck said: “I told the boys before the game: if you want to win in Munich, you have to play bravely, ballsy, and with grit.

“We were missing all of that in the first half.

“The second half, on the other hand, was far better, and I believe we were even better than Bayern.

“It gives us hope for the next matches.”

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Latest Liverpool news: Marc Guehi update, shock Real Madrid claim

As the Reds show keen interest in Schlotterbeck, sources have told TEAMtalk about the chances of Marc Guehi leaving Crystal Palace and joining Liverpool in the January transfer window.

A sensational Spanish report has revealed what Xabi Alonso has told Real Madrid about Florian Wirtz, as the 2025 summer signing continues to underwhelm for Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are said to be ready to make a huge bid to sign a LaLiga winger, but they are not willing to pay the asking price.

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