Real Madrid target’s €50m release clause has a deadline with injury hampering chances of move | OneFootball

Real Madrid centre-back target Nico Schlotterbeck’s future could be decided within the next few weeks.

The Borussia Dortmund defender negotiated a special release clause when he signed his contract extension earlier this year, and that clause gives a select group of clubs the opportunity to sign him for €50 million.

However, that window will close at the end of July, reports AS.

Once the deadline passes, Dortmund will regain full control over the player’s future and any possibility of a relatively straightforward transfer will disappear.

A clause designed to protect both sides

The release clause was one of Schlotterbeck’s conditions when renewing with Dortmund. From the club’s perspective, accepting those terms was preferable to risking losing the German international for nothing at the end of his contract.

Real Madrid like Schlotterbeck. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

The agreement guarantees Dortmund a transfer fee while giving the player a route to move to one of Europe’s elite clubs.

Only a handful of clubs can activate the clause. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool are among those eligible, and all three have shown interest in the defender during the current transfer window.

But there is an important detail: the clause expires shortly after the World Cup concludes. By the end of July, that door closes.

Injury creates uncertainty

Any club hoping to sign Schlotterbeck must act quickly. Yet timing has become problematic due to the injury currently affecting the defender.

Schlotterbeck suffered an injury at the World Cup. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

The setback has complicated what was already a delicate operation. While Real Madrid have long been considered the club best positioned to secure his signature, there are now growing doubts about whether this is the right moment to proceed.

His ankle ligament injury at the World Cup has introduced uncertainty into negotiations, leaving interested clubs with little time to assess both his recovery and their own priorities.

A window that Is rapidly closing

For now, Schlotterbeck finds himself in an uncomfortable situation. On one hand, several elite clubs remain interested. On the other, his injury has complicated the timing of any potential move.

Real Madrid continue to monitor the situation closely, but the coming weeks will prove decisive.

If no club activates the €50 million clause before the end of July, Schlotterbeck’s escape route disappears and Borussia Dortmund will once again hold all the cards.

What once seemed like a clear opportunity now looks increasingly like a race against time.