Barcelona key defensive target could be on his way to Real Madrid – report

FC Barcelona have made the signing of a new defender one of their priorities for the summer transfer window later this year.

The preference of the sporting department is to bring in a left-footed centre-half so as to fill the void left by Inigo Martinez’s exit last summer.

While Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan is seen as the ideal target, his price tag makes it an unrealistic option for the La Liga champions.

As such, Nico Schlotterbeck of Borussia Dortmund has emerged as another key target. The German defender’s contract expires in 2027 and has refused to renew, with his exit very much guaranteed , making him a viable target for Barça .

However, Barcelona’s plans to sign Nico Schlotterbeck could be spoiled as arch-rivals Real Madrid are very much in the race.

In fact, as per BILD in Germany , the possibility of the 26-year-old defender moving to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer transfer window is growing more concrete.

Slipping away from Barcelona? (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

It had previously been reported that Schlotterbeck would prefer a move to Real Madrid if a chance presented itself.

Now, things appear to be aligning from both the player side and the club’s side, with the chances of transfer growing.

It puts Los Blancos as the strongest contenders to sign the defender, dealing a blow to Barcelona .

Dortmund, for their part, will not make things easy as they intend to seek a transfer fee of more than €50 million for their defensive mainstay in the summer.

There is still plenty of time left for the transfer window, and a lot could happen between now and the summer with regard to Schlotterbeck and his future plans.

However, as things stand, it appears that Real Madrid may have an edge over Barcelona in the race for the German international.