Schlotterbeck Eyes Liverpool Move as Konate Exit Opens Anfield Door

Nico Schlotterbeck has made it known that he harbours ambitions of joining Liverpool, according to reports emerging from the German national team camp.

The Borussia Dortmund defender is understood to have informed Florian Wirtz of his interest in moving to Anfield, with his agent Björn Etzel already positioning him for a potential transfer once this summer's World Cup concludes.

The timing of Schlotterbeck's interest coincides with Liverpool facing a defensive reshuffle. Ibrahima Konate is departing the club as a free agent after contract negotiations broke down, despite the France international suggesting in April that an extension was imminent.

The German international's path to Merseyside appears straightforward on paper. Schlotterbeck recently penned fresh terms at Dortmund that include a release clause valued around €50-60 million, with Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg confirming that Liverpool sits among a select group of clubs permitted to activate it. The clause expires around the time of the World Cup final on 19 July.

The fee is reported to be €52.5 million (£45 million), and crucially, the mechanism is already active during the current transfer window.

Yet Schlotterbeck has publicly downplayed suggestions that he views the upcoming World Cup as a shop window for a bigger move. Speaking to Bild, he dismissed the notion of deliberately raising his profile ahead of the tournament, insisting he plays at a high intensity throughout the year regardless of circumstances.

"What do you mean by shop window? I play 50 games a year," he explained, adding that his focus remains purely on performing well for Germany at the World Cup rather than engineering a transfer.

Liverpool have not yet formally approached Dortmund about a deal, leaving the situation in limbo pending how the club decides to reshape its defensive options in the coming weeks.