Nico Schlotterbeck has been central to Borussia Dortmund’s success this season but is fully expected to leave for a bigger club, so BVB are monitoring center back options with Inter Milan owned defender Benjamin Pavard on their transfer radar.
Per a report from German outlet Sport Bild, Dortmund are eyeing Pavard as a summer 2026 transfer. Although he is on loan at Marseille this season, it is highly unlikely for OM to sign him permanently from the Nerazzurri, and he clearly has no future in Milano.
Pavard was a star in the Bundesliga before moving to Serie A in the fabled Inter back three, which is his best fit as a player in that wide center back role. He was a phenom for Stuttgart, shining brightly with his technical quality on the ball, and then he was a key part of Bayern Munich’s treble winning side in 2019/20, mostly playing as a right back.
Dortmund employ a back three, and Pavard would be an excellent fit as a veteran player. Ramy Bensebaini and Niklas Sule have been monumental transfer flops, so Pavard would actually be an ideal veteran replacement for the two struggling Bundesliga vets.
But in reality, Dortmund won’t be able to move on from those two and will instead have to sell Schlotterbeck, who is all but guaranteed to join Liverpool, Bayern Munich, or Real Madrid this summer.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.