Nico Schlotterbeck: Dortmund wary of Man United move for defensive rock | OneFootball

Manchester United have Borussia Dortmund worried over the future of their defensive linchpin, Nico Schlotterbeck.

Come the summer, Schlotterbeck will enter the final 12 months of his contract with Dortmund. The Black and Yellows have been trying to tie him down to a new deal.

Dortmund hoped to tie Schlotterbeck to a new deal

For a while, reports suggested they were closing in on an agreement. Yet just as confirmation of a new deal seemed imminent, one that would extinguish any hope of a move away from Signal Iduna Park, an interesting update has dropped.

German transfer insider Christian Falk, speaking to Caught Offside, has revealed Schlotterbeck and Dortmund are nowhere near an agreement on a new deal.

“Nico Schlotterbeck said that he must think again about the nearly finalised negotiations about a new contract at Borussia Dortmund,” Falk said.

“He said the reason for this is that the Club have fired the Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl (who was at the table at the negotiation).

“But the Club think that this is just a Pretext. The real reason could be a new interest in Schlotterbeck of Liverpool and Manchester United.”

While United have clear transfer priorities, bolstering central midfield and landing a reliable left winger, signing a top centre-back could equally serve them well.

Injuries have repeatedly struck their senior centre-backs. Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt, and Lisandro Martínez have all spent a significant chunk of this season on the sidelines. It is as though they have been rotating shifts in the treatment room.

At almost every point this season, one or two of them have been unavailable. Beyond the injury crisis, never replacing Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof only further justifies this transfer.

Schlotterbeck makes United better

Keen to compete on multiple fronts next season, surely INEOS would see the wisdom in adding another experienced defender to their ranks.

And if United can fully convince Schlotterbeck to reject a new deal at Dortmund and snub Liverpool, they could be signing one brilliant centre-back.

A modern left-footed centre-back admired for his aggressive defending, exceptional passing range, and high-volume ball-carrying, Schlotterbeck could be the ultimate alternative to Licha.

Beyond being a brilliant left-sided centre-back, he could also plug the left-back hole the Red Devils are hoping to fill in the summer. The Dortmund star’s pace and composure on the ball could see him perfectly deputise for Shaw at left-back.

Featured image Alex Grimm via Getty Images

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