Better passer than Van Dijk: Liverpool ready £42m bid for 6'3 centre-back
da bet sport： With Virgil van Dijk yet to sign a new contract, Liverpool have reportedly turned their attention towards a Bundesliga defender in search of replacing their towering centre-back.
Liverpool trio may have played their last Champions League game at Anfield
da luck： Having been dumped out of the Champions League on penalties by Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool will be desperately hoping that their week only gets better with the Carabao Cup final awaiting against Newcastle United this Sunday. Whilst the mood around Arne Slot’s side will perhaps be at its most sombre point, they can’t ask for a better chance to bounce back than by securing silverware at Wembley.
What will only add to the Anfield misery is the fact that, as things stand, that will be that for Mohamed Salah, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold in a Liverpool shirt in European competition. All three are yet to sign new deals and all three remain on course to become free agents in what should be Liverpool’s worst nightmare.
Those in Merseyside are seemingly already planning for the worst too. According to Bild in Germany, Liverpool now hold serious interest in signing Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund and are willing to offer €50m (£42m) to sign the 6 foot 3 defender.
Related Not just Nunez: Liverpool star who lost the ball every 3 mins let Slot down
Liverpool exit the Champions League in the last 16 after losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.
1
Now 25 years old and entering the peak of his powers as a central defender, Schlotterbeck has dropped off alongside the rest of his Dortmund teammates after an excellent campaign saw them reach the Champions League final last time out. Ultimately, the Bundesliga giants suffered heartbreak courtesy of Real Madrid, but nothing can take away from how impressive they were on the road to the final.
One season on from that heartbreak, Schlotterbeck could seemingly get the chance to move on and take up an impossible Anfield task.
"Great" Schlotterbeck is better on the ball than Van Dijk
Replacing any of the big three will be no easy task this summer, but replacing Van Dijk will be Liverpool’s toughest job. It will arguably be their own mission impossible. The Dutchman is one of the most flawless central defenders that the Premier League has ever seen and, simply put, there may not be an available option around Europe capable of replicating that right from the off.
The Reds and Schlotterbeck could certainly try their best, however. His towering height would go a long way towards replacing Van Dijk’s aerial ability, whilst the stats even suggest that the defender may be a star in waiting when it comes to his on-ball work.
Nico Schlotterbeck per 90
Rank in big 5 leagues
Virgil van Dijk per 90
Rank in big 5 leagues
0.11 assists
98th percentile
0.02 assists
55th percentile
7.82 progressive passes
99th percentile
4.86 progressive passes
82nd percentile
1.67 progressive carries
95th percentile
0.53 progressive carries
45th percentile
1.85 shot-creating actions
98th percentile
1.17 shot-creating actions
80th percentile
The numbers make for incredibly impressive reading, especially in a struggling Dortmund side. What instantly stands out is how well Schlotterbeck progresses play, outperforming Van Dijk in that department. Previously dubbed “great” by former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann, the 25-year-old could provide quite the shock by replacing Van Dijk and thriving this summer.
