Liverpool get second chance for dream defender deal amid contract snub

Liverpool have been tipped to move for an experienced defender in the summer transfer window.

Ibrahima Konate’s expected departure will blow a hole in Arne Slot’s backline - and it would be a tough ask for Giovanni Leoni or Jeremy Jacquet to be a start right out the gate.

Virgil van Dijk meanwhile will be out of contract in 2027 and he will be joined on the exit ramp by Joe Gomez. Therefore Liverpool need readymade centre-backs - their recent chase for talented young defenders notwithstanding.

For the last year or so it looked as though the Premier League champions would be in the chase for Borussia Dortmund stopper Nico Schlotterbeck.

The 26-year-old Germany international has emerged as one of the top defenders of his era - and with a contract expiring in 2027 he was seen as a unique transfer market opportunity.

Schlotterbeck stalling on Dortmund deal

However the recent noise in Dortmund suggested that the left-footer was close to agreeing a new contract at the Westfalenstadion.

That would have been enough to frustrate the transfer hopes of Liverpool and other suitors - with Schlotterbeck set to be tied down long-term. But there has been another dramatic twist in this transfer tale.

The latest reports state that Schlotterbeck is STALLING on that proposed renewal - ostensibly due to the departure of Sebastian Kehl as sporting director.

But German transfer expert Christian Falk thinks there’s another reason - namely renewed interest from Premier League sides Liverpool and Manchester United.

Liverpool are still there waiting for Schlotterbeck

“The real reason could be a new interest in Schlotterbeck of Liverpool and Manchester United,” he tells Caught Offside.

Schlotterbeck would be in many ways Liverpool’s ideal centre-back arrival. Capable of playing as a left-sided centre-back in a back three - or else featuring in a traditional two-man partnership - Schlotterbeck could slot in nicely or else facilitate a change of system.

Moreover given his passing range and preference for playing on the left he could be groomed as a long-term successor to Van Dijk. It looks like Liverpool may well get the chance to do a deal for Schlotterbeck before that contract is finally nailed down after all.

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