BVB is said to be interested and Bayern also seem to have their eye on him: Freiburg's Nico Schlotterbeck seems to be at the top of the notepads of the Bundesliga's top clubs. Is the central defender really that good? 1vs1 takes a look at the data - and we already want to tell you: Yes, he really is that good.
Beast in 1vs1-duels
Anyone who sees Schlotterbeck in his man-to-man duels will notice: this guy doesn't give his opponent an inch of space. The 22-year-old defends hard and makes good use of his powerful body. The reward is 70% of duels won - fourth place among all Bundesliga players. What's more, Schlotterbeck's tackles are usually spot-on: he's already made 63 of them, sixth in the league.
Positioning on point
It's not all that often that Schlotterbeck's opponents create shooting positions for themselves. When they do, however, the Waiblingen native is often in the way: 26 blocked shots make him the second-best Bundesliga player in this category. But Schlotterbeck also demonstrates reaction speed, positional play and a high foootball-IQ - with 7.7 intercepted passes per game, he is among the top ten in the league.
Rook in the battle
Still not convinced? Perhaps after the next top value: Schlotterbeck also puts down top statistics in the header game. The Freiburg player has already won 110 header duels, which puts him in the top 10 again. His heading prowess has another big advantage - Schlotterbeck is a prolific scorer when it comes to standards, with four goals already to his name. No other defender has surpassed this figure.
A cracking 1vs1 index: 86!
As you can see, Nico Schlotterbeck is convincing in several statistical categories. And we can tell you: The numbers listed here are by no means all the good numbers that distinguish "Schlotti". Unsurprisingly, our performance rating, the 1vs1 index, is another value that underlines Schlotterbeck's outstanding performance this season. With 86 index points, he mixes in among the league's top players, beating quite a few Bayern or BVB players. How fitting it would be if he were soon in the jersey of one of these clubs....
Potential for improvement on the offensive
What can't the young international do? Well, the young talent definitely excels in the classic defender stats. But our build-up-play metrics show that Schlotterbeck still has room for improvement. Whether it's Expected Goal BuildUp, passes into the final third or the Pass Progression Value - he performs well everywhere, but not outstandingly yet. Whether it's Expected Goal BuildUp, passes into the final third or Pass Progression Value - he performs well everywhere, but not outstandingly so. But we can be curious: If Schlotterbeck moves to a team that is even more forward than SC Freiburg, the central defender's values should also be in the absolute top range here.
