Liverpool take centre stage for signing of 6ft 3in beast after ‘crazy mistake’ by Real Madrid | OneFootball

Liverpool appear to be frontrunners in the race to sign Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund, with a report revealing Real Madrid have cooled their interest.

Liverpool tried to improve their defence last summer with the signing of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, only for Eagles boss Oliver Glasner to veto the deal at the last minute. The Reds are searching for Virgil van Dijk’s long-term successor, while Ibrahima Konate could leave on a free transfer this summer.

David Ornstein confirmed on Tuesday that there still has been no breakthrough in talks to extend Konate’s deal, which has seen Liverpool ramp up plans to bolster their backline.

Guehi remains a top target, and we have already revealed Liverpool and Manchester City’s plans to snare the Englishman. But he is not the only centre-back being considered, with Schlotterbeck another top-class option.

Spanish newspaper Marca deny recent reports suggesting Madrid are pushing the hardest to sign Schlotterbeck. They claim the left-sided centre-half isn’t a primary target for Madrid, opening the door to other clubs – most notably Liverpool.

Bayern Munich have also been credited with interest in Schlotterbeck, but Dortmund would rather sell to Liverpool as they do not want to see another elite talent join their domestic rivals.

That leaves Barcelona as Liverpool’s main competitors for the Germany international’s signature.

Anfield Watch describe Madrid’s decision not to pursue Schlotterbeck as a ‘crazy mistake’ given the fact he is one of the best defenders in Germany and is supposedly available for a ‘bargain’ fee of €50million (£43m).

Standing at an imposing 6ft 3in tall, Schlotterbeck appears to be a great potential replacement for Van Dijk, and at 26 he has the prime years of his career ahead of him, too.

It was claimed recently that Schlotterbeck had ‘expressed his desire to sign for Madrid’, but Los Blancos appear to have moved on.

Our transfer insider Graeme Bailey confirmed on December 8 that Liverpool have held talks with the player’s camp about a possible switch to the Premier League.

But we understand Schlotterbeck will cost slightly more than what Marca and Anfield Watch have been quoting, with £50m (€58m) a more realistic price tag.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have been joined by Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in expressing interest in Juventus magician Kenan Yildiz, we can confirm.