Borussia Dortmund eager to tie 'future captain' to new contract but Germany legend urges defender to make Bayern Munich transfer instead

According to a report from Sky, Dortmund are determined to keep hold of Schlotterbeck, their star defender, who is currently under contract until 2027. The report states that putting pen to the paper will not only see the 25-year-old remain at Signal Iduna Park until 2030, but will also see him become one of the top earners at the club.

Bayern have been in talks to extend Dayot Upamecano's contract – confirmed by president Herbert Hainer – with the Frenchman's deal expiring in the summer of 2026. Per reports from BILD, the French centre-back's camp are in preliminary talks with the Bayern higher-ups, but are demanding a salary hike, worth around €17m (£15m/$20m). However, Die Roten are unwilling to meet those demands. The uncertainty surrounding his future has seen him get linked with the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool.

On the other hand, the reigning Bundesliga champions are keeping tabs on Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, who is also into the final year of his deal at Selhurst Park. The Englishman is also wanted by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool.

In a recent column for Sky, Matthaus expressed his desire to see Bayern go after the Dortmund star. He wrote: "If Upamecano does leave Bayern in the summer, there will be a quality and quantity problem in that position. Then FC Bayern should go for Nico Schlotterbeck. He's currently hesitating about extending his contract with BVB beyond 2027, and Dortmund would have to sell him in the summer if they want to get a decent fee.

"Schlotterbeck definitely has the quality for Bayern, and a German international is always interesting for them. I think he'll play an important role alongside Jonathan Tah in the national team. Schlotterbeck, as a left-footed centre-back, would also fit in well with Tah, and Bayern's build-up play would be even better than it already is.

"Even if Upamecano stays, Schlotterbeck is certainly worth considering, as it's unclear what will happen with Min-jae Kim. However, I think they'll try the same approach as they recently did with Nick Woltemade - namely, offer a fee that's not quite in line with the market and see if Dortmund will sell. The risk, of course, is that an English club will come and offer significantly more, convincing both the player and BVB to make a move."

The two sides will resume domestic duties once the ongoing international break ends. Bundesliga's biggest rivalry will be renewed on October 18, when Vincent Kompany's men welcome Niko Kovac's side in the first Der Klassiker of the season in a top-of-the-table clash, to be played at the Allianz Arena.