Schlotterbeck on Tottenham shortlist of central defensive targets

Add as preferred source on Google

Tottenham are looking for a new central defender to bolster the left hand side of their back three under Antonio Conte.

According to the Athletic, Freiburg defender Nico Schlotterbeck is on Conte’s shortlist of potential options for next season.

They claim that German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund want the defender, which would make Spurs’ life hard.

That is especially true if they do not finish in the Champions League, although the most recent round of results has put them in a better position to do that.

Schlotterbeck has two caps for Germany after a breakthrough season and their manager Hansi Flick is clearly a fan, as per Bundesliga.com.

“Left-footed, a player you obviously want to see playing at centre-back but is also very versatile and can play in different positions,” he said.

“He can play in a back three but also, because of his footballing quality, can play in midfield.”

And Schlotterbeck has also said that he is likely to move on in the summer, after having had January interest from Newcastle.

“I don’t rule out staying at Freiburg,” admits the ball-playing defender, who’s scored four goals this term. “I signed for a long time and still have a contract until 2023.

“Of course, there is a possibility that I will leave in the summer. A transfer is very likely, but nothing has been decided yet.

“We will sit down together after the season. Freiburg has a point of view and I have mine. If I feel that I can still develop at Freiburg, then I’ll stay.”

That should offer Spurs encouragement but they have their own job to do between now and when the defender will sit down with Freiburg; get into the top four.