Lothar Matthäus: "I'd rather start Upamecano than Schlotterbeck" | OneFootball

Bayern Munich remain in negotiations with Dayot Upamecano over a contract extension beyond 2026.

Should they fail to reach an agreement with the Frenchman, Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck is reportedly among the players being considered as a replacement.

For Germany legend Lothar Matthäus, however, replacing Upamecano with Schlotterbeck would weaken Bayern’s central defence.

“Upamecano has continued to develop at Bayern, similar to Schlotterbeck at Dortmund. Both are top central defenders. My impression is that Upamecano is a little faster and plays very consistently, while Schlotterbeck has made a few mistakes recently. If it came down to one position, I would rather start Upamecano than Schlotterbeck,” Matthäus wrote in a column for Sky Germany.

“Nico could certainly be a Bayern player, but at the moment I see the duo of Upamecano and Jonathan Tah as extremely stable.”

He did note one weakness in the current centre-back pairing:

“They are solid in open play, but Bayern have conceded a few goals from set pieces. In recent months, defending set pieces has been a minor problem for the team,” Matthäus stated.