After months of back-and-forth negotiations, Borussia Dortmund and Nico Schlotterbeck have agreed to terms on a new contract for the star center-back that will last until 2031. According to Kicker, the contract includes a raise to €14 million per year and a release clause between €50-60 million. The club announced the signing earlier today:
Unfortunately, this contract does not guarantee that Schlotterbeck will stay in Dortmund for any serious period of time. As Kicker reported, the release clause kicks in as soon as this summer, meaning that this could still be Schlotterbeck’s final season with Borussia Dortmund.
I do not think this is a good signing by BVB. Schlotterbeck is definitely a great player, but €14 million per year is a ton of money. The rumored release clause is not very high in this day and age and I could easily see many clubs around Europe being willing to trigger it. That means that a key player in Dortmund will constantly be on the precipice of leaving as long as this contract lasts, like the Sword of Damocles constantly hanging over BVB’s squad planning.
Hopefully, the club can build a squad around Schlotterbeck that is strong enough that it convinces him to stay.
