Borussia Dortmund has announced the signing of a contract extension with center-back Nico Schlotterbeck. Schlotterbeck’s new deal will keep him with the club through 2031 and has ended months of back-and-forth.
Below is the release from BVB:
Borussia Dortmund has extended its contract with Nico Schlotterbeck (26) until 2031. The German international signed his new contract this Friday.
Borussia Dortmund’s CEO, Carsten Cramer, says: “The contract extension with Nico Schlotterbeck is of enormous significance.
He is of great value to us, both as a player and as a person. And Nico, in turn, knows exactly what he has in our club. He is highly valued and senses that we are building something here right now. That’s why we’re very pleased that we were able to extend his contract, which was set to expire next year, early.”
Schlotterbeck joined Dortmund from SC Freiburg in 2022 and has since played 155 competitive matches for the Black and Yellows. The center back has scored 10 goals and provided 18 assists. Schlotterbeck has now played 25 matches for the German national team since his debut in 2022.
Lars Ricken, Managing Director for Sport, emphasizes: “We have achieved our goal – clarity by mid-April. That was important to me. Nico Schlotterbeck is a leader at BVB and on the national team. We’re glad that he’s returned to top form so quickly after his recent serious injury. That demonstrates his determination and class. We are absolutely convinced that Nico can continue to develop at Borussia Dortmund and become indispensable to our club. Conveying that to him was very important to us during our discussions, which were characterized by mutual respect and trust.”
As part of the deal, Schlotterbeck will receive a raise, but not one that pushes his salary to an unmanageable number for BVB per Kicker. In reality, it seems like quite the bargain:
Had Schlotterbeck not extended his contract, with only one year remaining, the transfer fee the club could have demanded in the summer would have been significantly lower. Furthermore, there would have been the risk of losing Schlotterbeck on a free transfer a year later – a worst-case scenario for Dortmund. This risk has now been averted.
At the same time, Schlotterbeck’s salary will increase as a result of the contract extension. However, according to kicker, figures recently circulating in the media, suggesting a salary of up to €14 million per year, are inaccurate. The fixed salary is reportedly around €10 million, and even if the team wins the title, including bonus payments, he would not reach this high sum.
Included in the contract is a release clause, which could be for as much as €50 million to €60 million and only able to be exercised by a few select clubs:
The sticking point, according to reports, was a release clause for this summer. The amount now agreed upon is said to be between 50 and 60 million euros, according to kicker, and is only valid for a few clubs. For Schlotterbeck, this offers the advantage that strong performances at the World Cup could still give him the opportunity to quickly move to a top club. Borussia Dortmund, on the other hand, while lacking final sporting certainty, has a safety net that is enormously important for the club from a financial perspective.
This should have the center-back comfortable and settled heading into the World Cup for Germany this summer. Before Dayot Upamecano inked his contract extension with Bayern Munich, Schlotterbeck was linked to the Bavarians. Is Bayern Munich one of the select clubs on Schlotterbeck’s list of teams, who can activate his release clause?
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…
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