Liverpool can activate Schlotterbeck’s €60 million release clause this summer

Liverpool can activate Schlotterbeck’s €60 million release clause this summer

Liverpool are one of three clubs that can activate the release clause in Nico Schlotterbeck’s new contract with Borussia Dortmund, according to Bild.

The Reds are reportedly on the trail of the German defender as they look to bolster their faltering rearguard this summer.

Liverpool likely thought they had missed out on the 26-year-old when he signed a contract extension with BVB.

However, it turns out there is a release clause of around €50-60 million, allowing him to leave this summer. It reportedly expires at the end of the 2026 World Cup.

Liverpool and Real Madrid can activate the clause, but Bayern Munich cannot.

Leveraging this clause, Liverpool can still snap up Schlotterbeck, who is understood to be a candidate to succeed Virgil Van Dijk at Anfield.

Schlotterbeck has caught the eye with his performances this season, winning 64 percent of his aerial and 62% of his ground duels in the Bundesliga.

He has helped his side keep nine clean sheets in 23 appearances. His ability to break lines with his passing is outstanding.

Schlotterbeck is a natural-born leader, the type Liverpool need to take the reins from Van Dijk when he eventually moves on.

Despite signing a new deal, he is still widely expected to leave Germany this summer, which is why he was booed in his last outing for BVB.

For Liverpool, this is a gamble worth taking. Schlotterbeck ticks too many boxes to ignore.

He is physically dominant, progressive in possession, and already showing leadership traits at the highest level.

Lauded as one of the best centre-backs in the world, he can help shore up Liverpool’s leaky backline.

He is entering his prime and has the personality to shoulder the responsibility of replacing a figure as imposing as Van Dijk.

The clause removes the usual negotiation complications, making the deal both attainable and timely.

If Liverpool are serious about planning for the post-Van Dijk era, Schlotterbeck stands out as the most reliable, ready-made successor on the market this summer.