Barcelona allow Real Madrid to complete brilliant first summer signing that affects Liverpool | OneFootball

Barcelona have stepped aside and cleared the way for Real Madrid who are now ‘very close’ to sealing a centre-back signing that has bittersweet ramifications on Liverpool, according to reports.

All three of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool are exploring the market for additions at centre-half in the summer, and one player the trio have converged on is Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck.

Liverpool hold confirmed interest in the 26-year-old left-footer, who is viewed as a more than worthy alternative to Marc Guehi who slipped through the Reds’ fingers in January.

Real Madrid are in desperate need of a defensive revamp, with Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba well past their best.

Barcelona, meanwhile, are seeking a high calibre option to bolster the ranks. What’s more, Barca boss, Hansi Flick, is the manager who gave Schlotterbeck his first cap for Germany when managing the national side.

Dortmund are fully prepared to cash in at season’s end for around €50m. Schlotterbeck isn’t expected to pen fresh terms at Dortmund – his existing deal expires in 2027 – and the Bundesliga side want to generate a sizeable sum while they still can.

A recent report from AS stated Real Madrid’s key decision-makers have finally ‘agreed on’ Schlotterbeck representing the best option.

Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate has been considered, as has Micky van de Ven at Tottenham, but Schlotterbeck is now viewed by Los Blancos chiefs as the superior option. That’s despite the fact Konate could be available for nothing in the summer, and Schlotterbeck will cost a substantial fee.

Of course, Barcelona must be pushed to one side too, and per the latest from Spanish outlet Sport, Flick’s side have done old enemies Real an unlikely favour.

They stated: ‘It’s true that the player was offered to [Barcelona] and that they’ve been following him.

‘Hansi Flick knows him perfectly because he gave him his debut with the German national team, but both the German coach and the sporting director are aligned on signings and believe that Schlotterbeck, while a good player, isn’t what Barca needs at the moment.’

As such, the ‘recurring mantra’ at the Camp Nou right now is reported to be ‘Let Real Madrid [have] Schlotterbeck if they want him.’

Instead of moving for Schlotterbeck, Barcelona are putting the pieces in place for an audacious approach for Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni.

And with Bastoni now top of Barca’s shortlist, the path is now clear for Real to snap up Schlotterbeck who was described as being ‘very close to joining Real Madrid.’

Such a move has implications for Liverpool, given that just like Guehi, a confirmed centre-back target might be about to sign elsewhere.

Nevertheless, it could strengthen Liverpool’s attempts to retain Konate. If Real Madrid make it clear they won’t move for the Frenchman, he might be more willing to commit his long-term future to the Reds.

In other news, Liverpool manager Arne Slot has been told the “situation is quite clear” over how he can avoid the sack at Anfield this summer, though Sunday’s last-gasp win at Nottingham Forest has seen his chances of achieving his goal significantly inflated, according to Opta.

Elsewhere, Liverpool fans have called on Slot to offer Rio Ngumoha more chances after he “did more in 20 minutes than Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo did all match” in Sunday’s win at Nottingham Forest, with two respected journalists explaining how the Reds ‘masterminded’ the lucky win at the City Ground.