According to “Sky” clearance for painting
©IMAGO
Nico Schlotterbeck still has a contract with Borussia Dortmund until 2027, but will apparently be tied to the black and yellow team for longer. As “Sky” reports, the club officials want to make the defender and DFB national player the face of the team. Talks about an early extension are said to be ongoing.
If he signs, Schlotterbeck, who came from Freiburg in 2022 for 20 million euros, should become one of the top earners in the team. But neither party is in a hurry. According to reports, the professional, who has been 25 years old since Sunday, is to be developed into the captain of the future because he is seen as an identification figure. Veteran Emre Can usually wears the armband, but the 30-year-old is always the focus of criticism and was recently banned from playing.
On the last Bundesliga match day, in the 1-1 draw against FC Bayern, Schlotterbeck led BVB onto the field as captain for the first time. “I was extremely nervous before the game. I led BVB when I was 24, that’s not something to be taken for granted,” he explained shortly before his birthday. “I’m in my third year here now, which is incredible. If someone had told me that two years ago when I came here, I would have asked if they were crazy.”
In addition to Schlotterbeck, Julian Brandt (28), Serhou Guirassy (28) and Waldemar Anton (28) are reportedly also among the possible candidates for the office. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel (26) could also be considered. TM user and BVB fan “Utzel” judged Schlotterbeck in the Dortmund Forum after the draw against Bayern: “Fantastic boy who has now matured into a man and, at just 24 years old, even shows clear leadership qualities. The natural captain of this team and the future face of BVB.”
“We need this greed and the passion to defend our own goal,” praised sports director Lars Ricken Schlotterbeck, according to the “Ruhr Nachrichten”. And coach Nuri Şahin wanted to recognize that the defender was “growing”: “It’s nice to accompany this process.” Schlotterbeck played like a captain against Bayern and led the team.
BVB professional painting can and wants to change in winter
On the other hand, offensive player Donyell Malen is on the move. According to the pay-TV broadcaster, the 25-year-old has received approval to move in the winter – and therefore wants to leave himself. There is a transfer fee of 25 million to 30 million euros. However, the Dutchman Malen has the ambition to end up at a top club that has qualified for the Champions League. For this reason he recently changed his management.
Painting cost BVB 30 million euros in the summer of 2021, making the right-footer one of the eight most expensive purchases in the club’s history. His contract ends in 2026. In the current season he scored four goals and one assist in 17 competitive games over 832 minutes – Malen was only in the starting line-up nine times, although Borussia was plagued by serious personnel problems in the meantime. Schlotterbeck and Malen are each listed in the TM database with a market value of 40 million euros.
