Bayern Munich and Germany legend (plus punditry bane of Uli Hoeneß‘s existence) Lothar Matthäus thinks that Borussia Dortmund center-back and German national team star Nico Schlotterbeck should abort any plans
to join Bayern Munich if Dayot Upamecano signs a new contract at the club.
“He is one of the best central defenders we have in Germany,” Matthäus said (as captured by Goal). “I think it depends a lot on (Dayot) Upamecano. If Upamecano stays, then it will be very difficult for Nico Schlotterbeck to become a regular player at Bayern. But we are not there yet. I don’t know what Nico is planning.
“In Dortmund he has his position. I don’t know what he is waiting for: probably still for offers from England.”
Matthäus has an interesting perspective on this and might not be wrong. Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany appears to settle into a center-back pairing and does not seem all that open to rotating that much — though he has been more willing to use his bench this season with Upamecano and Jonathan Tah still chewing up the majority of minutes and absorbing the most wear-and-tear.
Upamecano’s future is sill up in the air as both Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly willing to meet his financial and contractual demands, while Bayern Munich is still reportedly balking. Right now, Schlotterbeck appears to have finally grown into the kind of player that many had been waiting for. With Upamencano, Tah, and Kim Min-jae still on Bayern Munich’s roster, though, it would be complicated is all three defenders stay for next season and the club adds Schlotterbeck.
One other factor could be a deterrent — BVB itself. Borussia Dortmund has no incentive to sell Schlotterbeck to Bayern Munich and could pull the same tactics that VfB Stuttgart used with Nick Woltemade last summer. With a deal that ends in 2027, Schlotterbeck could be in no man’s land if he wants a move to Bayern Munich next summer.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
