Liverpool spent buckets of money this past summer to revamp the fullbacks, attacking midfield, and striker positions. The club attempted to strengthen the center back spot as well, but fell short after a deadline day deal for Marc Guéhi fell through. The Reds entered the season with three veterans on the roster in the center of defense in Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté , and Joe Gomez. Those three were joined by a talented new youngster in Giovanni Leoni.
Unfortunately, Giovanni Leoni tore his ACL in his first outing for the club and has been lost for the season. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konaté has struggled for form amid rumors that he could move on a free transfer next summer.
Whether in the winter or next summer, Liverpool are expected to be active in their pursuit of an ascending center back who can provide depth at a minimum and take over for Konaté or van Dijk. Marc Guéhi is still believed to be a top target, but Liverpool are said to be kicking the tires on others to find the best fit for the best deal.
One name that has popped up is Borussia Dortmand’s Nico Schlotterbeck. The left-footed German defender has been linked with Liverpool in the past, but news site Dave OCKOP has reported that Liverpool are in initial talks to broker a deal. The 25 year old center back has featured 128 times for Dortmund since joining in 2022, and has also received 22 caps playing for Germany. Schlotterbeck is tall and fast, and is extremely comfortable on the ball. According to FBRef, he is in the 98th percentile for passes attempted per 90 minutes, 99th percentile for progressive passes, and in the 90th percentile in progressive carries compared to all other center backs. He has struggled in aerial duals, however, and has struggled to stay fit for a full season.
No potential transfer fees have been rumored to this point, but there is potential to get the player at a somewhat reasonable fee as his current contract expires in the summer of 2027. Borussia Dortmund are said to be actively trying to get Schlotterbeck to sign a new contract amid interest.
While it is certainly too early to see if this particular rumor has legs, it does seem that Liverpool are actively searching for a center back. Dayot Upamecano has also recently been linked to the Reds as the club explore options beyond Marc Guéhi.