Liverpool facing more Real Madrid transfer frustration as Mourinho eyes Reds target

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is eyeing a move for Liverpool target Nico Schlotterbeck. The Borussia Dortmund star is high on Real's shortlist as Mourinho urges them to sign a left-footed centre-back.

Schlotterbeck, 26, was heavily linked with Liverpool last season, only to sign a new contract with Dortmund in April. The deal, which runs until 2031, seemed to put to bed any speculation over his future before he jetted off to the World Cup.

But Sky Germany now report that the contract includes a release clause worth between £42million and £51m. It's added that Real are have shortlisted Schlotterbeck, who Mourinho is a big fan of, alongside Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori, who can also play as a left-back.

It wouldn't be the first time that Real have scuppered Liverpool's plans. In each of the past two summers, a player has rejected the offer of a new contract at Anfield in favour of moving to Madrid on a free transfers; firstly Trent Alexander-Arnold and then Ibrahima Konate.

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Liverpool supporters will also recall Real beating them to the signing of Aurelien Tchouameni in 2022. And now Mourinho's plans could force the Reds to look for alternatives at centre-back.

Andoni Iraola has already welcomed £60million signing Jeremy Jacquet to his defence and will get to work with the highly rated Giovanni Leoni, who arrived last summer only to suffer an ACL injury. But the new Liverpool manager admitted on Tuesday that they're 'very thin' when it comes to defensive options.

"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, yes," Iraola told a press conference.

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Liverpool could also sign a right-back depending on how Conor Bradley recovers from the knee injury which has kept him out since January. "I think it depends on Conor's situation," Iraola added.

"At the end 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. I think it's a situation that is tricky, because we trust Conor in the long term, we know we want him to be our right-back but right now he is still, I would say, a little bit far from returning."