Talks opened: Liverpool fans will be on red alert after evening Sky Sports update | OneFootball

Nico Schlotterbeck was reportedly the subject of an official ‘enquiry’ from Bayern Munich.

Florian Plettenberg now claims that the Bundesliga giants have expressed interest.

This follows a prior report insisting that Liverpool, heavily linked with the Dortmund defender, are not planning to sign the player in the January transfer window.

Is this Liverpool transfer dead in the water?

(Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images)

According to the Sky Germany journalist, Liverpool are going to keep their powder dry – at least as far as the Bayern-linked centre-back is concerned.

That’s, perhaps, a little surprising in light of Giovanni Leoni’s long-term injury (ACL). Not to mention Joe Gomez’s well-documented injury proneness.

Ibrahima Konate, likewise, hasn’t helped matters with his mixed start to the 2025/26 season, prompting serious concern over the future of the Reds’ backline.

Whether this is Liverpool’s recruitment team simply looking to batten down the hatches following a surge of recent reports, however, remains to be seen.

Either way, if Plettenberg’s latest update on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday evening is to be taken as gospel, Bayern Munich are said to be prepared to fill the void.

To be totally honest, though, we’re not convinced that the Reds are 100% out of the picture.

By all accounts, Liverpool were said to admire Schlotterbeck as a potential Virgil van Dijk successor. More to the point, sources from Germany Empire of the Kop spoke to have indicated that the Bundesliga centre-back would be interested in a proposal from the Premier League champions.

So, there is at least some interest from both sides.

Are Bayern going to beat Liverpool to Nico Schlotterbeck?

(Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)

Nico Schlotterbeck provided a timely reminder of his qualities during Germany’s 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in their World Cup qualifier.

The German media showered the 25-year-old with praise. Meanwhile, reports gathered around Liverpool’s mounting interest in the BVB star and the prospect of a mid-season move.

However, for the time being at least, it would seem that FC Bayern have taken the lead in the race.

We still think this is a transfer that’s unlikely to be resolved before the summer transfer window.

* Nico Schlotterbeck’s stats in the 2025/26  Bundesliga season for Dortmund (Fotmob)

The Bundesliga leaders were operating under a strict loans-only policy in the prior summer market – so we can’t see them coming to the table with a bid likely in excess of £60m in January. Indeed, a report from Sky Sports Switzerland claimed the player was valued at £60m in March this year.

Liverpool’s funds, on the other hand, haven’t been totally depleted, even after their summer exploits.

Keep your eyes peeled on this story as we approach the January window.

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