Germany World Cup star waiting for Real Madrid to call
As Real Madrid continue to strengthen ahead of next season, Los Blancos are eyeing a move for a mainstay in the Borussia Dortmund and Germany defense.
In just 10 days, Real Madrid have signed as many players as they did over the entire summer window last season. That kind of activity doesn’t mean the club has slowed down its ongoing locker-room overhaul. Two or three more arrivals are still expected, along with at least one inevitable departure to go with those of David Alaba and Dani Carvajal.
One position Madrid are still intent on reinforcing - even with Ibrahima Konaté set to arrive - is center back. With Josko Gvardiol on the verge of renewing with Manchester City, Nico Schlotterbeck’s name has resurfaced at Valdebebas, alongside others such as Benfica’s Portuguese defender Tomás Araújo.
How much would Schlotterbeck cost?
Schlotterbeck has been on Madrid’s radar all season long. One thing the club’s hierarchy is clear about: they would never pursue a hostile operation against the Germany international’s club, Borussia Dortmund. That said, the emergence of a release clause has opened the door to a potential deal.
Dortmund and Schlotterbeck reached an agreement in April to extend a contract that had been set to expire on June 30. In doing so, the player secured a favorable situation for both himself and the German club. He wouldn’t leave on a free - but he did attach a price tag to his freedom, something unusual in the Bundesliga. That number: €50 million ($58 million).
Currently on World Cup duty with Germany, Schlotterbeck is well aware that Madrid are on the move, as reported by Sky, and he is said to be waiting for the call that would confirm a deal made relatively straightforward by the existence of that release clause.
At the same time, Dortmund are active in the market, searching for a left-footed center back in anticipation of a possible departure of one of their standout performers in recent seasons.
Schlotterbeck fits Mourinho’s bill
Experience, physicality, and composure are the main attributes valued by Madrid’s new head coach, José Mourinho, as he looks for a player who fits his tactical blueprint and team identity - and Schlotterbeck checks those boxes.
Inside Valdebebas, the goal is to have the squad finalized by the start of preseason. That leaves a month of intense work, both in terms of arrivals and outgoing transfers. Mourinho’s voice carries significant weight. The dynamics have shifted, and now the Portuguese plays a central role in shaping the decisions being made.
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