Liverpool set to battle Chelsea and Man City for 'very versatile' Borussia Dortmund star
Arne Slot is keen to address one area of his squad, but he faces tough competition from Premier League and European club's for one star.
Slot won the Premier League at a canter in his first season at Liverpool, but despite a summer of heavy investment, flaws are beginning to show in his side.
Liverpool's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea made it three losses on the bounce for the Reds, and leaves them a point behind leaders Arsenal.
Returning to action against Man United, Slot has number one goalkeeper Alisson out with a hamstring injury, whilst their are concerns over Ryan Gravenberch and Ibrahima Konate who both picked up problems on international duty.
Liverpool pursuing Nico Schlotterbeck
Football Insider also exclusively revealed that Chelsea were lining up a move for Schlotterbeck, whose contract expires in 2027.
The 25-year-old has been at Borussia Dortmund for three years, but has yet to win a major honour at the club.
| Minutes Played | 270 |
| Duels Won % | 52.2% |
| Aerial Duels Won % | 71.4% |
| Tackles | 3 |
| Interceptions | 4 |
| Recoveries | 14 |
Slot needs more options at centre-back with Konate linked with a move to Real Madrid amid the impending expiry of his contract in the summer, whilst Giovanni Leoni suffered an ACL injury on his debut against Southampton.
Schlotterbeck hailed as 'one of the best centre-backs'
Schlotterbeck has received high praise in Germany with Dietmar Hamann calling the German, "one of the best centre-backs in terms of ball-playing skills, not just in Germany, but in all of Europe," as per Bundesliga.
When Schlotterbeck earned his first call-up to the German national team, Hansi Flick said: "Left-footed, a player you obviously want to see playing at centre-back but is also very versatile and can play in different positions. He can play in a back three but also, because of his footballing quality, can play in midfield."
The versatility, and bonus of being a left-footed defender, means Schlotterbeck would be a welcome addition to any side in the peak of his career.