Barcelona defensive target doubles down on his statement amid backlash from club | OneFootball

Nico Schlotterbeck is certainly one of the players who will be on the radar of Barcelona as they prepare for a busy summer ahead.

The German international is expected to be available in the market, with his contract at Borussia Dortmund expiring at the end of the season.

Although recent reports suggest Barcelona have taken a backseat when it comes to finding defensive reinforcements, Schlotterbeck remains at the top of their wishlist.

While the German hasn’t made a decision on his future, he appears to be going head-to-head with Dortmund bosses and has stirred a pot in the BVB camp lately.

In light of Dortmund’s recent wins and Bayern Munich’s slip-ups, Schlotterbeck, as reported by journalist Jose Araoz, had recently stated that Dortmund must fight to be champions.

This didn’t go well with the Dortmund board, which argued that the defender was creating expectations that didn’t exist. Dortmund are currently six points away from Bayern at the top of the league table.

Schlotterbeck wants to win the Bundesliga title with Dortmund. (Photo by Boris Streubel/Getty Images)

Schlotterbeck doubles down

However, instead of heeding the suggestions of the Borussia Dortmund bosses, the defender appears to have doubled down on his earlier statement.

“Right now I’m the captain because Emre is out. If I set the course, the team has to follow it. I lead by example. At BVB, we play to win and achieve something,” he said.

This is a clear indication that Schlotterbeck is not playing at Dortmund to finish second place, and is indicative of his winning mentality, which could prove to be quite favourable for Barcelona.

The Catalans have started to win silverware again under the leadership of Hansi Flick and there’s no reason why Schlotterbeck might not consider a move to Camp Nou.

But until then, it will be interesting to see how this ongoing saga between Dortmund and Schlotterbeck transpires and whether or not the defender opts to extend his contract at the club.