Chelsea are weighing up centre-back reinforcements for the winter window, and fresh reporting suggests the club could pivot from domestic targets to Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck.
Eyefootball claims that the Blues are exploring a January move for a Dortmund defender, aligning with recent chatter that Schlotterbeck is firmly on Premier League radars.
Schlotterbeck, a left-sided centre-back comfortable defending space and progressing play under pressure, would give Enzo Maresca a different profile to his current options.
Multiple outlets have linked Chelsea with monitoring the German international’s situation at Dortmund, where attention around any renewal talks has drawn interest from England and the continent.
Why a Guéhi deal is unlikely now
This potential course-correction comes amid long-running links to Marc Guéhi. Chelsea’s admiration for their Cobham graduate is no secret, but the pathway to bringing him back is increasingly crowded.
With his deal running down toward 2026, Guéhi is eligible to talk to non-English clubs well before any Premier League move—and several European heavyweights are already circling.
Recent reports highlight Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Liverpool among the suitors, a level of competition that complicates both timing and cost for Chelsea.
Given that backdrop, looking elsewhere—particularly to the Bundesliga—makes strategic sense.
Schlotterbeck: The perfect alternative
Schlotterbeck fits the age and upside that Chelsea have targeted in recent windows, while addressing the need for balance (a natural left centre-back) and build-up quality.
While any January deal would depend on Dortmund’s willingness to engage mid-season, the Blues’ recruitment team has historically kept parallel shortlists and moved quickly when market conditions open a door.
There’s also a value argument. A bidding war for Guéhi—amid interest from clubs with Champions League guarantees and attractive wage structures—could inflate terms beyond Chelsea’s thresholds.
Pursuing a continental option like Schlotterbeck may offer a clearer route to a starter-calibre defender without the same contractual headwinds or Premier League premium.
Bottom line: Chelsea still admires Guéhi, but the odds of winning that race are narrowing. If a centre-back arrives in January, the signs increasingly point to the Blues testing Dortmund’s resolve—and Schlotterbeck looks a logical, high-upside target that fits both the squad’s balance and Maresca’s game model.
As featured on Chelseanews.com
