BVB can hope: Real eye alternative to Schlotterbeck | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund may have fresh reason for hope in the transfer tug-of-war over Nico Schlotterbeck. Real Madrid apparently have another top defender on their shortlist alongside the BVB star.

Nico Schlotterbeck’s future remains a talking point at Borussia Dortmund. Although the centre-back only signed a long-term contract extension with BVB until 2031 in April, his name is still being linked with Real Madrid. Current reports, however, suggest that Los Blancos may initially prefer a different candidate in their search for a new defensive leader.

Real Madrid are undergoing a major rebuild after two years without a major title. Jose Mourinho has already been appointed as the new head coach, and the Spanish giants have also strengthened at left-back with Marc Cucurella. The club’s decision-makers are also looking for further reinforcements at centre-back.

Schlotterbeck remains one of the players being monitored in Madrid. According to the Spanish newspaper AS, the Germany international is on Los Blancos’ radar. The report says the 26-year-old could, in principle, imagine a move to the Spanish record champions. Schlotterbeck himself recently stated that he has noticed the speculation surrounding him. For now, however, his full focus is on the World Cup with the German national team.

BVB can hope: Will Real sign Bastoni instead of Schlotterbeck?

For BVB, one other name could now be especially relevant. As reported by Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport, Real Madrid are seriously considering Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan. According to the report, the club’s officials have already informed their counterparts in Milan of their general interest.

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In talks on the sidelines of a charity event in Madrid, Inter vice-president Javier Zanetti and sporting director Giuseppe Marotta reportedly made it clear that the Italian top club would demand around €70 million for Bastoni. Whether Real actually make a concrete move apparently depends on Mourinho. The new coach is expected to analyze the squad first before Los Blancos decide on further transfers.

For Borussia Dortmund, these developments are still far from irrelevant. If Real Madrid focus their transfer efforts on Bastoni first, Schlotterbeck could temporarily slip into the background. Schlotterbeck is not off Real Madrid’s list yet, but the latest developments could play decisively into BVB’s hands.

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