According to Sport Bild, Borussia Dortmund officials are in talks with Anton's representatives, but negotiations have reportedly been slow. A quick agreement is not in sight.
BVB's initial salary offer reportedly falls well short of Anton's expectations, with the defender seeking greater appreciation. The 30-year-old has long been one of Borussia's key performers.
While Anton is the perfect complement to Nico Schlotterbeck, he has also excelled as the sole leader of the defence when Schlotterbeck has been absent. Since new signing Joane Gadou arrived, Anton has been a fixture in the centre of the back three favoured by coach Niko Kovac. The role has given him even more influence after he had often played on the right.
Even Nico Schlotterbeck sees Waldemar Anton as the "boss"
"Waldi is a leader, but what is much more important to me is that he is someone who leads the way, someone who thinks, eats, sleeps and drinks football 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and someone who supports his team-mates," Kovac recently said of Anton, adding: "He never gives up and gives everything for the team. He is a role model, and that is what you need."
On BVB's social media channels, Schlotterbeck acknowledged Anton's importance to the team. "When Waldi plays in the middle and I play on the left, he is the boss because he sets the line. He also communicates more loudly," he said in a video, adding: "What he has done over the past year and a half has been really impressive."
The national team value him, too. Jürgen Klopp called Anton up to his second squad for the previous training camp and gave him the full 90 minutes against both Serbia (2-0) and Greece (0-0). At the time, he described the Dortmund defensive leader's performance alongside Malick Thiaw as "outstanding".
When naming him in his World Cup squad, former Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann described the Uzbek-born player as a team's "glue".
IMAGOBVB: When will talks with Waldemar Anton continue?
For BVB, failing to reach an agreement with Anton would be a bitter blow. It also seems unlikely that Borussia would refuse to make any concessions. According to Sport Bild, talks are set to continue in the coming weeks.
Anton moved from VfB Stuttgart to Dortmund in the summer of 2024 via a release clause for a reported 22.5 million euros. He has since become indispensable to the starting line-up, making exactly 100 appearances in a BVB shirt, scoring six goals and providing four assists.