It's an old method of Bayern Munich: weakening its direct competitors to maintain its national throne. The last transfer window was no exception with the signing of Jonathan Tah, at the end of his contract with Bayer Leverkusen, champions the previous year. With his 17 goals on the clock in all competitions, Nick Woltemade could also have joined Bavaria but Stuttgart said no to Bayern's offers to say yes to Newcastle's €75 million. The season has started and Bayern is already preparing for the future by sniffing out good opportunities in Germany, notably at Borussia Dortmund, its current runner-up in the league, 4 points behind.
The two best enemies will meet at the Allianz Arena on Saturday (6:30 p.m.) and a few BvB players will be particularly scrutinized, starting with Nico Schlotterbeck. At 25, he is the new fashionable central defender, already announced in the biggest clubs in the world, FC Barcelona, Liverpool, and obviously Bayern Munich. Arriving 3 years ago from Friborg for €20 million, he is deep in thought about the next step in his career. The 1m91 player has still not opened discussions for a new contract now a year and a half from the deadline (2027). Time is running out for the BvB, which has already expressed its desire to extend it until 2030.
Schlotterbeck hesitates, Bayern is on the lookout
“He has the absolute right to plan his future carefully. We respect that. And I think salary is not the most important factor, but rather it's perspective, confidence and beliefdeclared Lars Ricken, the sports director of the Ruhr club to SportBild. We will not rush things. But of course we don't want to make them last forever either. Everyone is aware of this.» The subject is delicate of course. Schlotterbeck has become the key player in Dortmund and is now an essential element in the national team (22 caps) where his good association with Jonathan Tah has not gone unnoticed.
Under pressure with the end of Dayot Upamecano's contract next June, Bayern will have to strengthen this position with a leading element. Who other than the best German in this position would do better? After Lewandowski, Götze, Hummels, Süle and Guerreiro, he would not be the first to fuel the BvB-Bayern axis (most often in that sense). “I can't say anything about it“, apologized the person concerned during the international break. “Nico has always made the difference. He is a player you can count on. He is a leader on the field, not only thanks to his performance, but also thanks to his experience», explained Lothar Matthäus on Sky Sports.
The BvB has another problem to deal with
Injured to the meniscus at the start of the season, the native of Waiblingen impressed in his first matches in a team still undefeated in all competitions since the restart. “He has a very high status within the team and also among the fansassured Niko Kovac, still on Sky Sports. He succeeded thanks to his way of playing and experiencing football. We are here, in the Ruhr. You need emotion, aggression, and he brings all that, in addition to his qualities as a player. That's why it would be nice if he stayed here longer“. Some recall that Schlotterbeck had already been close to Bayern before choosing the BvB stage.
This thorn in the side is not the only one in the shoes of leaders. The future of Karim Adeyemi (23 years old) is also uncertain, although he has had a very good start to the season (8 matches in all competitions, 3 goals and 3 assists). His contract also ends in 2027 and an extension is dragging on. “We want to work with Karim in the long term”underlined Ricken, particularly delighted by the striker's performances. “Its development is remarkable“. The manager rules out a future sale and is banking on negotiations offering the player a salary of around €8 million per year, but the latter also dreams of the Premier League.
