Borussia Dortmund to face competition from Bundesliga rivals in race to sign Waldemar Anton

The battle for Stuttgart centre-back Waldemar Anton is set to intensify in the coming weeks, with Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, and RB Leipzig all keen on signing him.

Signing a new centre-back is set to be a priority for Borussia Dortmund this summer, with Mats Hummels increasingly likely to leave the club on a free transfer. The future of Niklas Süle is also uncertain after he lost his spot in the starting XI this season.

BVB have identified Waldemar Anton as a possible option to bolster their defence after he played a key role in Stuttgart’s second place finish in the Bundesliga. According to BILD, the Germany international will be available for a fee of around 22.5 million euros thanks to a release clause in his contract.

The tabloid adds that interest in Anton is high, with Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig also in the race for his signature. The Bundesliga champions are said to be leading the race, although the 27 year old can also imagine a move to Borussia Dortmund, in part due to his good relationship with the club's newly appointed technical director Sven Mislintat. Anton came through the youth team ranks at Hannover 96, before Mislintat signed him at Stuttgart in 2020.

Borussia Dortmund will certainly need to move quickly if they want to get the signature of Anton over the line. However, their plans will likely be dictated by the futures of Hummels and Süle. Dean Huijsen of Juventus is another centre-back the Black and Yellows have been linked with in recent weeks.