Liverpool have reportedly shortlisted both Jan Paul van Hecke and Nico Schlotterbeck as potential replacements for club captain Virgil van Dijk this summer.
The Dutch defender is yet to commit his future to Liverpool, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, after six-and-a-half successful years at Anfield.
Van Dijk has been ever-present in Arne Slot's Premier League side this season, with the Reds on the cusp of winning a second title in five years, thanks heavily to the impact of the 33-year-old.
Currently earning north of £200,000-per-week, no agreement has yet been reached or publicly announced about new terms being agreed between player and club, meaning Van Dijk could depart, along with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer.
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Liverpool already planning for life after Van Dijk?
As one of the best-run clubs in the Premier League, Liverpool are likely to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to potentially rebuilding their backline without Van Dijk.
GiveMeSport claim that Van Dijk's Dutch compatriot Van Hecke is one of the main players being watched closely by the club to fill his shoes, following his breakout at Brighton & Hove Albion over the past 18 months.
Van Hecke, now 24, has recently established himself in the Dutch national side, playing in two of their UEFA Nations League fixtures in the autumn alongside Van Dijk.
A €2m (£1.7m) signing from NAC Breda in 2020, Van Hecke has gradually worked his way up to the Brighton first team, thanks to two loan spells at Heerenveen and Blackburn Rovers, and now as a near-ever-present in the Premier League this season, with the Seagulls chasing European football.
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Schlotterbeck touted as an alternative choice?
However, Brighton will command a fee much larger than what they paid for Van Hecke five years ago, and that could be slightly off-putting to Liverpool, who have often been more shrewd than many in the transfer market.
Therefore, attention could turn elsewhere, and Borussia Dortmund's underwhelming season could see them not just miss out on the Champions League, but European football altogether.
One of the most valuable players at the club is German international Nico Schlotterbeck, who will not be best pleased at being unable to showcase his talent on the European stage, and could be set to depart if BVB miss out continental qualification.
According to BILD, Schlotterbeck could be free to leave the Westfalenstadion for around £42m in the summer, and Liverpool are believed to be very interested at a potential fire sale at Dortmund following a disappointing season.
Dortmund remain in the bottom half of the Bundesliga table, and Schlotterbeck will have just two years left on his deal in the summer, meaning that window could be one of the last chances the club have to make a fair fee on the player.
Rebuilding the squad will be done largely behind the scenes, though, as Liverpool focus all of their attention on getting over the line and winning the Premier League title, while also chasing success in the EFL Cup and the Champions League.
Andrew Delaney
