Chelsea eye up Nico Schlotterbeck | OneFootball

Nico Schlotterbeck (25) is playing as if he had never been away. The Borussia Dortmund centre-back was out for nearly half a year due to a meniscus injury. Now, the BVB's defensive chief is also making his comeback in the national team. In London, the officials are watching his progress with great interest.

FC Chelsea showed some defensive instability in the first weeks of the new season. In the Champions League, FC Bayern Munich ruthlessly exposed the Blues' weaknesses in their 3:1 victory. The absence of Levi Colwill (22), who will be out until well into next year due to a cruciate ligament tear, is painfully noticeable.

With Trevoh Chalobah (26), Wesley Fofana (24), Tosin Adarabioyo (28), Benoit Badiashile (24) and Josh Acheampong (19), the defence of the Club World Champion is numerically well staffed. However, the quartet does not possess the quality to challenge at the very top.

Return to the National Team

According to Footballinsider, Chelsea is already looking for reinforcements for 2026. Their gaze is also directed towards Dortmund. Schlotterbeck, who still has a contract with BVB until 2027, is at the centre of interest. "He is exactly the type of player Chelsea needs," Mick Brown (75), former chief scout of Manchester United and AFC Sunderland, is convinced. The "current options" of the capital club are "not good enough".

But expert Brown is sure that signing the 25-year-old will not be easy. Dortmund reportedly does not want to "lose Schlotterbeck". Therefore, the Black and Yellows are aiming to extend the contract beyond 2027.

Just last summer, the Waiblingen native rose to the top of the Kicker rankings as Germany's number one centre-back. In his three Bundesliga appearances since his return to the pitch, Schlotterbeck has already proven his worth again. National coach Julian Nagelsmann was also convinced and called up the BVB defender for the upcoming international matches against Luxembourg (October 10) and Northern Ireland (October 13).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.