Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are reportedly vying for SC Freiburg defender Nico Schlotterbeck, with the Bundesliga champions leading the race to sign him.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are embroiled in a transfer tussle to sign Nico Schlotterbeck in the summer transfer window. The Bundesliga champions are the front-runners to land the 22-year-old SC Freiburg defender.
Nico Schlotterbeck took some time to get going at SC Freiburg but has come into his own since returning from a loan spell at Union Berlin last summer. The youngster has taken no time to establish himself as a pivotal figure for the Bundesliga outfit and has played a key role in their top-four charge this term.
The 22-year-old has started all but one game for Freiburg this season, featuring in 17 Bundesliga matches for the Breisgau-Brasilianer. In doing so, Schlotterbeck has established himself as one of the best young defenders in Bundesliga, with his performances capturing the attention of some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
The interest from Real Madrid could be stemming from a lack of cover for Eder Militao and David Alaba in the first-team squad. While the latter has done exceedingly well since arriving from Bayern Munich last summer, it is worth noting that Nacho is the only other reliable centre-back at Carlo Ancelotti’s disposal.
With the Spaniard a backup option at best, the need to sign a centre-back has accentuated for Real Madrid, with Schlotterbeck emerging as a viable target. But Real Madrid will need to fend off stiff competition from Bayern Munich in the race to sign the 22-year-old Freiburg defender.
Due to Niklas Sule’s uncertain contract situation, the Bundesliga champions have been thrown into the deep end, scouring for a centre-back in the transfer market. Interestingly, the German central defender has been linked with Real Madrid, among other European bigwigs, and could leave Bayern Munich as a free agent.
Sule’s departure would create an urgency for a centre-back, with Schlotterbeck emerging as the priority option for Bayern Munich. And according to Fichajes, the German giants are ahead of Real Madrid in the race to sign the youngster, with a summer move likely to come to fruition.
If that were the case, Real Madrid would need to turn attention towards an alternative, but it will be interesting to see if they can claw their way back in the race to sign the 22-year-old from Freiburg in the summer.