Barça eye Schlotterbeck in bid for new defensive leader | OneFootball

Things are currently not going well for FC Barcelona in defense—and this could soon have serious personnel consequences. According to the Catalan portal E-Notícies, sporting director Deco is working on a transfer for Nico Schlotterbeck. The Borussia Dortmund center-back is set to become the new defensive pillar for the Catalans in the summer of 2026.

Coach Hansi Flick currently faces a major challenge. Barça’s usually stable defense has looked shaky this season, with individual errors regularly costing points. In particular, Jules Koundé and Ronald Araújo have not delivered the consistency that was hoped for.

At the moment, Eric García and Pau Cubarsí form the regular center-back pairing, but even this solution does not fully convince the club. While García scores points with tactical maturity and clean build-up play, he lacks physical dominance. The young Cubarsí is considered a great talent—but his occasional mistakes under pressure show that he still lacks experience at the highest level.

According to the report, Flick and Deco agree: Barça needs an experienced, technically strong center-back who can stabilize the defense and accelerate Cubarsí’s development.

Schlotterbeck as the Desired Solution

Photo: IMAGO

The choice fell on Nico Schlotterbeck, who has been one of Borussia Dortmund’s most reliable performers for years. The 25-year-old national player is valued by Barça for his physical strength, tackling ability, and football intelligence.

Flick knows Schlotterbeck from their time together at the German national team and is said to have had a significant influence on the decision.

Deco and Flick are convinced that Schlotterbeck would immediately become a regular starter. His profile fits perfectly with Flick’s playing philosophy, which is based on dominant possession and aggressive defending.

According to E-Notícies, Barcelona is prepared to invest around 40 million euros for Schlotterbeck—despite the club’s strained financial situation. The deal would only be possible if several player sales are completed in the summer.

Schlotterbeck’s contract with BVB runs until the summer of 2027, and the Black and Yellows’ management is working hard on an early extension. However, the center-back is hesitating and has not yet made a decision about his sporting future.

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