£35m Liverpool target now LIKELY to move

Liverpool are down to three senior fit centre-back options.

The Reds signed Giovanni Leoni over the summer - with the 18-year-old moving from Parma on a £26m deal.

However the Italian was injured on debut - suffering an ACL tear - and isn’t expected to play again this season.

That leaves Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez as Arne Slot’s only options currently available.

Schlotterbeck is likely to be sold

And to make matters worse Konate’s contract expires in summer 2026. Factor in the failure to land Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace last summer and you can see how Liverpool might be heading for crisis point.

But there is reason to believe that the Premier League champions will land a new stopper in the coming transfer windows. One of the names most prominently linked over the past few weeks is Nico Schlotterbeck.

The 25-year-old Borussia Dortmund centre-back is due to leave the club when his contract expires in 2027 and the Bundesliga side are waking up to the fact that he might have to be sold.

Barca favourites for £35m Schlotterbeck

That’s according to a new report in TEAMtalk - which claims Barcelona are currently in the lead for Schlotterbeck. German international Schlotterbeck is also admired by Liverpool - as well as Manchester United.

Therefore a bidding war may yet develop for the left-footer - with Dortmund valuing him at £35m and above.

“The possibility of an exit is growing increasingly likely, potentially sparking a bidding war among top clubs,” the report reads.

“Liverpool, under Arne Slot, are planning for life beyond key veterans and view him as a versatile option to eventually replace Van Dijk, while the uncertainty around Ibrahima Konate means at least one centre-half will be brought into Anfield over the upcoming transfer windows.”

Van Dijk, 34, is contracted until 2027 and his departure will leave a sizeable gap in the Reds’ backline. Schlotterbeck is a progressive passer and a commanding presence - and would fit in nicely at Anfield should Richard Hughes win the race for his signature.

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