Real Madrid News
Real Madrid preparing contract offer for Borussia Dortmund mainstay; will cost between €50 and €60 million
Jose Mourinho is pushing for Real Madrid to beef up the defence ahead of next season as he sees the department to be the weakest link in the side.
He is of the idea that a second elite centre-back after Ibrahima Konate, and a new left-back, will add some much-needed depth to the side.
The likes of Riccardo Calafiori and Josko Gvardiol have emerged as serious options on that front, and the manager is said to highly rate both the aforementioned players. Now, however, German outlet BILD report a new option that has popped up on their table.
The option in Dortmund
Indeed, the player in question is none other than Nico Schlotterbeck, who plays for Borussia Dortmund and has been linked with the club in the past as well.
The German outlet now brings to light that Real Madrid see him back on the table as an option and that they want to sign him this summer.
Los Blancos are already preparing a contract offer to send over to Dortmund and the player so as to open talks. The priority, needless to say, will be to get the player’s approval swiftly and accelerate the process.
A release clause to trigger
What makes Schlotterbeck a promising option for Real Madrid is the fact that the player has a release clause that can be triggered to skip the negotiation process.
The player’s termination clause reportedly stands at between €50 million and €60 million, a fee Real Madrid will see as affordable in the current market scenario.
At just 26 years of age, moreover, the player has the best years of his career ahead of him and can serve as a long-term option for the club.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid’s Yan Diomande is outperforming Mbappe and Lamine Yamal in one key statistic
Real Madrid summer signing Yan Diomande may still be waiting for a regular starting role under Jose Mourinho, but one statistic already places him above some of the biggest attacking names in European football.
Simply put, the Ivorian winger has emerged as the most successful dribbler among players in Europe’s major leagues, with more than 20 attempts this season.
According to WhoScored data, Diomande has completed 72% of his dribbles, putting him ahead of Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal.
Diomande leads Mbappe, Bellingham and Yamal
Notably, Diomande’s 72% dribble success rate is the highest among the group.
Bellingham sits second at 69%, while Mbappe has completed 61% of his dribbles and Yamal 60%.
🚨 Players with the BEST dribble success rate in Europe (20+ dribble attempts):
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) October 2, 2026
1. Yan Diomande (72%)
2. Jude Bellingham (69%)
3. Kylian Mbappé (61%)
4. Lamine Yamal (60%)
5. Miguel Sierra (60%) @WhoScored ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/KNRwqPO0bL
The gap becomes even more striking when Diomande’s La Liga numbers are considered. He has attempted 27 dribbles in seven league appearances, successfully completing 18 and failing with nine.
That works out at an average of 5.8 successful dribbles per 90 minutes, showing how frequently he beats his opponent when he gets into one-on-one situations.
For a Real Madrid side that has struggled to create consistent attacking momentum this season, that ability gives Mourinho a strong weapon to consider.
Diomande’s derby cameo showed what was missing
Notably, Mourinho did not initially select Diomande in the starting XI against Atletico Madrid, but the decision changed after half-time.
With Real Madrid needing to respond after being reduced to 10 men, Diomande entered in the 54th minute, replacing Vinicius Jr.
In just over half an hour, he completed four dribbles and came close to scoring.
That performance makes the case for more minutes difficult to ignore, particularly while Vinicius continues to search for his best form.
The Brazilian has struggled to consistently beat defenders early this season, limiting some of Real Madrid’s attacking threat.
Now, with 72% dribble success, 18 completed dribbles in LaLiga and four successful take-ons in his derby cameo, Diomande has already shown a quality Real Madrid may need to exploit more regularly.
