Liverpool will likely need to strengthen their centre-back department in the 2026 summer transfer window.
Jeremy Jacquet is joining the Reds once the 2025/26 season comes to a close.
However, Joe Gomez could leave Liverpool before the next campaign gets underway, while Ibrahima Konate is due to become a free agent.
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In turn, we could be in a situation where Virgil van Dijk and two fairly young talents in Jacquet and Giovvani Leoni are the only centre-backs at the club.
So, bringing in a new stopper in the next transfer window would have made sense.
However, it now looks unlikely to be Borussia Dortmund ace Nico Schlotterbeck.
Nico Schlotterbeck prefers another team to Liverpool and Bayern Munich
Liverpool were first linked with Schlotterbeck back in October 2025.
He is under contract at Dortmund until 2027, but talk of a potential exit has persisted in recent months.
In January, it was claimed Liverpool could snatch Schlotterbeck away from Bayern Munich.
However, reports emerging from Germany on Wednesday suggest neither club will win the race for the stopper.
Instead, Real Madrid are linked with the player by Bild, with it added that Los Blancos would be his favourite destination if he is to leave Dortmund.
A fee of €40m and €50m is expected to be enough to get a deal over the line, with such a sum not thought to be an issue for Madrid.
How do you think Liverpool should handle the contract situations of Konate, Van Dijk, and Gomez?
Van Dijk (2027), Gomez (2027) and Konate (2026) are all out of contract soon!
Are Liverpool linked with any more centre-backs?
With Schlotterbeck potentially joining Real Madrid instead, there are very few other options that seem likely to move to Anfield.
Liverpool were linked with Dayot Upamecano, but he’s now expected to remain at Bayern on fresh terms.
Alessandro Bastoni is another name that has emerged in 2025/26, but there has been little to suggest Liverpool are pushing strongly for the Inter Milan player.
A new target will likely emerge as the summer window nears, but for now, it doesn’t look as though the Reds are close to signing another centre-back.
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