Nico Schlotterbeck

Nico Schlotterbeck is a left-footed central defender whose aggressive ball-carrying, willingness to step into midfield, and comfort under pressure made him one of the Bundesliga's most exciting defensive prospects at Freiburg before Borussia Dortmund signed him in 2022. His Germany career has been marked by moments of genuine quality alongside occasional positional errors that cost him consistency in the starting XI. At 26, he is entering the phase where potential must convert into reliability. Julian Nagelsmann values his ability to initiate attacks from deep, but tournament football will test whether his composure matches his ambition.