Newcastle United have been given a boost in their hopes of signing Nico Schlotterbeck, after he indicated he would be open to playing in England one day.
Schlotterbeck, a defender for Bundesliga side SC Freiburg, has come on leaps and bounds this season helping his team climb to challenge for a spot in the Champions League via league position.
The 22-year-old German has had his valuation set at just £17m by the Breisgau-Brasilianer (Brazilians of Breisgau), with his contract with them set to run out in 2023.
This alone has further piqued The Magpies interest, along with the likes of Borussia Dortmund.
However, while Schlotterbeck has admitted he is living his dream by playing in the Bundesliga, he also opened the door for a potential move to England.
Speaking in an interview to German publication Sport Bild, he said: “When I was a little boy, I always dreamed of playing in the Bundesliga – and I’m living it right now.
“But if I ever get an attractive offer from England or Spain, I would of course take a look at it.”
This could open a path for him to move to Eddie Howe’s team, if they can avoid the damnation of relegation to the Championship.
Following a takeover from a Saudi-backed Public Investment Fund earlier in the season, Newcastle spent heavily in the January window, bringing in four players for an outlay of roughly £85m plus one more on loan for the remainder of the season.
While they got their post-season window season off to a flyer by beating Frank Lampard’s Everton 3-1, safety is far from guaranteed for the club.
Should they stay up then Schlotterbeck should prove to be a high-priority target for them, as they will be more aggressive in going after central defensive reinforcements for next season.