Liverpool turn to Bundesliga centre-back amid Virgil van Dijk uncertainty | OneFootball

Liverpool are reported to have identified Borussia Dortmund centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck as a potential summer target amid the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Virgil van Dijk's future.

Van Dijk will see his current contract expire at the end of the season and recently insisted anybody who claimed to know what his future holds is "lying", revealing he has no idea whether he will still be part of the club next year.

That was followed by reports of a huge contract offer from Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, which Van Dijk is said to be considering.

With Liverpool facing the very real prospect of losing Van Dijk this summer, they have started to look for possible replacements and BILD state Schlotterbeck has played his way on to the Reds' radar.

Van Dijk's future is unclear / Visionhaus/GettyImages

Dortmund are enduring a torrid season domestically, sitting tenth in the Bundesliga and likely to miss out on qualification for next season's Champions League unless they can win the European trophy this year.

While things have not gone to play for Dortmund, Schlotterbeck has caught the eye on an individual level. The 25-year-old has been excellent and his club are keen to thrash out a new contract - his current deal expires in 2027 - but Schlotterbeck is not yet convinced as he wants to be playing Champions League football.

Liverpool have expressed an interest and are even said to be ready to pay "well over" €50m (£42m) to sign Schlotterbeck this summer.

Much will hinge on the future of Van Dijk, but Liverpool are also sweating on centre-back partner Ibrahima Konate. The Frenchman, whose own contract expires in 2026, has delayed talks over an extension and has publicly flirted with suitors like Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.