Nico Schlotterbeck discusses Borussia Dortmund future
Following Saturday's win at Union Berlin, Nico Schlotterbeck has provided an update on his contract talks with Borussia Dortmund.
The centre-back capped a magnificent display against Union with a goal and a clean sheet, helping his team bounce back in style after Tuesday's Champions League defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
Schlotterbeck's second-half header was his third goal of the season, and he is now closing in on his personal best Bundesliga tally of four goals from the 2022/23 campaign.
With his contract set to expire at the end of the 2026/27 season, talks over a new deal are reportedly ongoing. Speaking after Dortmund's Matchday 19 victory, Schlotterbeck said: "I've set a personal deadline for myself. I won't say when it is. Definitely before the summer, though."
Watch: Union Berlin 0-3 Borussia Dortmund
Schlotterbeck has racked up 147 Dortmund appearances in all competitions since joining from Freiburg in the summer of 2022. He could make his 100th Bundesliga outing for the club at home to Heidenheim on Matchday 20.
The 26-year-old has established himself as one of Europe's finest centre-backs over the past few years. Under Niko Kovač, he has been at the heart of a defence that has kept 10 clean sheets in 19 Bundesliga matches this season - a tally bettered only by Paris Saint-Germain in the continent's top five leagues.
"I feel comfortable here," continued Schlotterbeck. "It won't be an easy decision. I'm a gut-feeling kind of guy. I'll sit down with Dad and [brother] Keven and then make a decision. I don't quite know right now how it'll turn out."
Before the resumption of the Bundesliga earlier in January, BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl said that the club remained in continued dialogue with Schlotterbeck over a new deal.
"We're trying to convince him with the power this club has, with the appreciation that he feels and with what we want to achieve together," Kehl said. "We also want to give him a perspective that makes sense for him.
"But we're not sitting down every day. Things like this need time. He's used the winter break to think things over, but there's no new development yet."
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