Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has admitted his defensive options are “very thin” as Real Madrid, under new boss Jose Mourinho, set their sights on the club’s top centre-back target Nico Schlotterbeck.
Speaking on the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, Iraola said the squad lacks depth at both centre-back and right-back. “With the centre-back, with the right-back situation, in terms of defensive depth, we are, I think, very thin right now, so I think it’s a solution that we are trying to find,” he told a news conference in Chicago.
“Iraola admits Liverpool defence 'very thin' as Real Madrid target Nico Schlotterbeck.”
The admission comes as Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho pushes for a left-footed centre-back, with Schlotterbeck high on his shortlist. The Borussia Dortmund star, 26, signed a new contract in April that runs until 2031, but Sky Germany report it includes a release clause worth between £42m and £51m. Mourinho is also a fan of Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori.
It would not be the first time Real have scuppered Liverpool’s plans. In each of the past two summers, players rejected new deals at Anfield to move to Madrid on free transfers — first Trent Alexander-Arnold, then Ibrahima Konate. Liverpool also lost out to Real for Aurelien Tchouameni in 2022.
Iraola has already signed £60m defender Jeremy Jacquet and has Giovanni Leoni, who arrived last summer but suffered an ACL injury. But the depth issue is compounded by Conor Bradley’s long-term knee injury. The Northern Ireland international was injured in January and remains “a little bit far from returning”, according to Iraola. “If you have a fully fit, healthy Conor Bradley, we are very happy, ready to go and we would not be asking ourselves these questions,” he said.
Amid the defensive concerns, Iraola also made clear he wants to keep midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and goalkeeper Alisson. Mac Allister has two years left on his contract and has yet to begin talks over a new deal, while Alisson has one year left and has been linked with Juventus. “I want to keep my good players,” Iraola said. “Alisson is someone that definitely will help us in this process of adaptation of the new signings.”