Mirror: Schlotterback refuses to renew contract with Dortmund, Liverpool intends to bring him in next summer

According to the "Mirror" report, Dortmund defender Schlotterbeck refused to renew his contract with the club, and Liverpool is interested in introducing the German international. Konate's contract with Liverpool expires next summer, and the Reds hope to sign a central defender by then.

This summer, Guey was Liverpool's main target for central defender recruitment, but the deal failed on the transfer deadline. Liverpool's offer of £35 million was accepted, but Crystal Palace decided not to sell their captain at the last minute. Since Guey's contract expires next summer, he can pre-sign a contract with a foreign club when the January transfer window opens. Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are all interested in him, giving Liverpool stiff competition.

The 25-year-old Schlotterbeck is an alternative option for Liverpool, having spent three and a half impressive seasons at Dortmund. According to reports, the Germany international's contract with Dortmund will expire in 2027. But he refused to renew his contract with the club, which is good news for Liverpool. According to "Bild", the reason is the tense relationship between him and Dortmund coach Kovac, who is dissatisfied with the latter's pragmatic style of play.

Before losing 1-2 to Bayern last month, Dortmund remained unbeaten at the beginning of the season. However, they are yet to win in November, suffering a 4-1 defeat away to Manchester City in the Champions League and a 1-1 draw with newly promoted Hamburg on Saturday, in which Schlotterbeck scored.

Dortmund hopes to retain Schlotterbeck and is willing to offer him a new contract until 2030. The former Freiburg player will receive a significant salary increase, with an annual salary of 8 million euros. Bayern Munich are also interested in him and Dortmund are no strangers to poaching like this. Dortmund director Ricken recently said: "We will not rush to make a decision, but of course we will not delay it indefinitely. Everyone understands this."

Liverpool signed central defender Leoni this summer, for which they paid a transfer fee of 26 million pounds to Parma. Unfortunately, Leoni tore his cruciate ligament on his Liverpool debut and is expected to miss a year.