Germany defender Nico Schlotterbeck ends transfer speculation and is staying at Dortmund

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) —

Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck has ended speculation about a possible move to Real Madrid by extending his contract with the German club until 2031.

The 26-year-old Schlotterbeck, who only had another year on his existing contract with Dortmund, signed a new deal on Friday, the club announced.

Dortmund chief executive Carsten Cramer said the extension 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.”

Schlotterbeck, a Germany international, joined Dortmund from Freiburg in 2022 and has played 155 competitive games for the team.

Negotiations over a new deal dragged on as Dortmund announced other players’ extensions and confirmed some players would leave. Team captain Emre Can signed a contract extension despite being out injured for the rest of the season, while Julian Brandt, Salih Ozcan and Niklas Sule will leave at the end of the season.

Talks stalled when Dortmund announced the immediate departure of sporting director Sebastian Kehl last month, but his successor, Ole Book from second-division team Elversberg, evidently made Schlotterbeck’s uncertain future one of his first priorities.

“In Nico, we have one of the best center-backs in the world in our ranks,” Book said. “His play with and without the ball, his distribution, his tackling, together with his presence and determination on the field, all of this makes him incredibly valuable to us. We’re certain that we can achieve great things together with Nico at Borussia Dortmund.”

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer