Liverpool transfers: 'Virgil van Dijk successor' told clock is ticking on offer

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Nico Schlotterbeck has been warned by Borussia Dortmund that the Bundesliga outfit will not wait 'indefinitely' for him to decide whether to sign a new contract amid interest in his services from other clubs, including Liverpool .

The Germany defender has two years left to run on his current deal, however, Dortmund are keen to tie down one of their most important players long-term. The situation has been complicated by rival interest in the 25-year-old , who has yet to decide his future.

Dortmund are said to have tabled a proposal which would see Schlotterbeck treble his salary to around €8million (£6.9m). But with Liverpool and Bayern Munich also lurking in the background, Dortmund's sporting director, Lars Ricken, has told the centre-back that the club won't wait on him to sign forever.

In an interview with Bild , Ricken said of the situation: “It is his absolute right to plan his future carefully. We respect that. And I believe that the focus should not be on salary, but on prospects, trust and conviction.”

However, he went on to add: “We will not rush into anything. But of course, we don't want to drag it out indefinitely, everyone is aware of that.”

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With Schlotterbeck's future up in the air, Liverpool may well be keeping tabs of the situation as 2026 approaches. The Reds are light in defence after missing out on a summer deal for Marc Guehi , with Giovanni Leoni - a £26m summer recruit from Parma - set for a year on the sidelines after tearing his ACL .

There has already been speculation that the club will rekindle their interest in Guehi, be that in January or at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, where he will likely be available as a free agent. However, reports earlier this year indicated that Schlotterbeck had been identified as a long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk .

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Liverpool's captain, 34, recently signed a new two-year contract which runs until 2027. And while he remains a colossal figure for Arne Slot 's team, it would be diligent for the Premier League champions to be planning for life after the Dutchman.

Van Dijk has made over 300 appearances since joining the Reds from Celtic back at the start of the January transfer window in 2018, winning two Premier League titles, the Champions League and both the Carabao and FA Cups.

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