According to one European reporter, Liverpool are prepared to pay at least £50m to sign an instant replacement for a current Anfield stalwart who could viably leave Merseyside in the summer.
The future of Virgil van Dijk remains worryingly in the balance, with the Reds captain saying over the past 24 hours that a decision on whether or not he signs a new contract will be made known before the end of this season.
Even if the Dutchman stays on, he’ll turn 34 in July, so in any event FSG would be wise to look towards the long-term and formulate a proper succession plan.
Liverpool prepared to pay £50m+ for Nico Schlotterbeck
On Monday afternoon, Sacha Tavolieri reported for skysport.ch that Liverpool are willing to pay an amount close to the €60m (£50.4m) that Borussia Dortmund are set to demand for Nico Schlotterbeck, for whom a move to the Premier League is deemed ‘a real possibility’.
It’s also mentioned in the same report that Van Dijk desires one final transfer to a club outside of England to finish out his career, with the United States understood to be his preferred destination.
This follows on from Christian Falk’s claim last week that the Reds have the Germany international on a list of prospective successors to their current captain.
Imagine Schlotterbeck and Van Dijk together at Liverpool!
Obviously the most ideal scenario for Liverpool is that the legendary Van Dijk stays put for at least another couple of years, with his performances this season illustrating that he’s certainly not on the wane even as he approaches the twilight phase of his playing days.
However, if the Dutchman were to move on in the summer – duly leaving colossal boots to fill at Anfield – FSG could do far worse than to bring in Schlotterbeck, who at 25 is in that sweet spot of boasting almost 200 senior club appearances while still having the bulk of his career ahead of him.
Despite Dortmund falling to yet another Bundesliga defeat at the weekend (2-0 to RB Leipzig), the German defender stood out for his team by winning six duels and three tackles, along with completing 100% of his dribbles and a whopping 12 long passes (Sofascore).
With those figures in mind, it comes as no surprise that he ranks in the top 1% of centre-backs in Europe’s five main leagues over the past year for progressive passes per game (7.77), and he’s also in the top 10% with his match averages for assists, shot-creating actions, progressive carries and successful take-ons in that time (FBref).
If Liverpool are able to sign such a well-rounded defender this summer for around £50m, it’d either give them a formidable option to partner Van Dijk or a damn good successor for our current captain, depending on what happens with his contract over the next few weeks.
