Real Madrid are weighing up the possibility of signing Germany and Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck as they look to reshape their backline this summer.
Los Blancos are expected to be in the market for defensive reinforcements when the summer transfer window opens, with serious doubts lingering over the long-term future of players like Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba.
The Spanish giants have already missed out on key defensive targets like Marc Guehi, who joined Manchester City during the January transfer window and Dayot Upamecano, who already has an agreement in place with Bayern Munich over a new long-term contract.
Nevertheless, they still have a strong list of potential targets to pick from ahead of the summer transfer window, and Schlotterbeck happens to rank very high among their remaining options.
Schlotterbeck will be entering the final 12 months of his contract at Borussia Dortmund next season, and his long-term future with the Bundesliga outfit is currently shrouded in uncertainty.
Negotiations aimed at tying the Germany international down to a new contract at the Signal Iduna Park have been ongoing for some time now, but as things stand, he has refused to commit his future to the Black and Yellows.
According to Spanish news outlet Marca, Real Madrid see Schlotterbeck’s situation at Borussia Dortmund as a great opportunity to poach the German from their Bundesliga counterparts.
The 26-year-old defender will be available for around €45m if he decides against a contract extension at Dortmund, with that decision expected to be made by mid-March.
Whether Real Madrid will make a serious attempt to sign Schlotterbeck in the summer remains uncertain at this point. If they do, though, the La Liga giants will fancy their chances of getting a deal over the line.
