Marco Rose raves about new Borussia Dortmund signing Nico Schlotterbeck
By Tushar Bahl
Marco Rose heaped praise on new Borussia Dortmund signing Nico Schlotterbeck on Thursday, and said that he is looking forward to the arrival of the German international.
Borussia Dortmund completed the signing of SC Freiburg centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck earlier this week for a transfer fee of 20 million euros plus bonuses. He will join BVB on a five year contract in the summer. And Marco Rose is confident that the 22 year old has all the attributes Dortmund were looking for in their search for a new defender.
During his press conference ahead of Borussia Dortmund’s game against Greuther Fürth, Rose said that Schlotterbeck wants to achieve big things with his new club.
"“He has had an excellent development in recent years and has become a national team player. He has an excellent left foot, recognises the spaces well and is very strong with the ball at his feet. On top of that, he seems very composed, has a very good positional game and is a strong tackler. All things we needed and were looking for.”“The talks were very good and pleasant, we got to know each other personally. He made it clear to us that he wants to achieve big things with BVB. We are looking forward to welcoming him next season.”"
Schlotterbeck has been one of the best performing defenders in the Bundesliga this season. The German international has played a key role in SC Freiburg’s stunning run in both the league and the DFB-Pokal. His performances saw him attract the interest of a number of big clubs, including Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur. But he decided to join Borussia Dortmund.
Incoming sporting director Sebastian Kehl revealed on Monday that Schlotterbeck rejected better offers from other clubs because he wanted to make the switch to BVB.
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Borussia Dortmund’s defensive struggles have been well documented this season. The Black and Yellows have conceded 50 goals in just 32 Bundesliga matches, and defensive lapses have cost the team on a number of occasions. And the hope will be that the arrivals of Niklas Süle and Nico Schlotterbeck can help bring some stability to the back-line starting from next season.