BVB eye Croatian centre-back talent Branimir Mlačić | OneFootball

While Emre Can is on the verge of signing a contract extension and Waldemar Anton is also firmly in the club’s plans for the future, there are still several question marks surrounding Borussia Dortmund’s central defense beyond this season. While the departure of Niklas Süle at the end of his contract on June 30, 2026, seems to be a done deal, Nico Schlotterbeck continues to hesitate, and it appears unlikely that the currently loaned Aarón Anselmino from Chelsea will be signed permanently, BVB is keeping its eyes and ears open.

With Víctor Valdepeñas from Real Madrid Castilla, BVB has set its sights on a Spanish U19 international who is also reportedly on the radar of other prominent clubs such as Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen. It also remains unclear whether Real is even willing to let go of the left-back and center-back.

Valdepeñas is not the only central defender Borussia is seriously considering. According to internationally well-connected transfer insider Ekrem Konur, BVB is also interested in Branimir Mlačić, who, at just 18 years old, is already a regular starter at Croatian top club Hajduk Split and has already played for his country’s U21 team.

Contract in Split until 2029

The great potential of Mlačić has long been known beyond Split and Croatia, and has already attracted the attention of several major clubs. In addition to BVB, Inter Milan, Newcastle United, Olympique Marseille, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid are also said to be closely monitoring the youngster’s development.

Despite a contract running until 2029, it is considered likely that Mlačić will want to take the next step in the not-too-distant future. If the transfer fee is right, Hajduk would probably let the 1.92-meter-tall defender go. How deep the interested clubs are willing to dig into their pockets remains to be seen. This also applies to BVB, who would likely bring in Mlačić as an immediate reinforcement—similar to Anselmino last summer—and not just as a player for the future.

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