Szoboszlai is still out, and Liverpool have made contact with Felix Nmecha’s camp at Dortmund
The approach is exploratory, Dortmund are top of the Bundesliga, and the midfielder’s reported €80m release clause cannot be triggered until next summer.
Oct 25, 2026
Liverpool have made contact with Felix Nmecha’s representatives, according to Sky Germany. Nobody is calling it a bid. The report describes an early, exploratory approach, and says Borussia Dortmund have no immediate reason to worry about losing their midfielder.
Camara and Scott come first
Lamine Camara of Monaco and Alex Scott of Bournemouth are still described as Liverpool’s leading central midfield options, and Nmecha is one of several names being looked at ahead of January or next summer.
The timing is easy to understand. Dominik Szoboszlai came off after about half an hour of the win at Brentford on 17 October with the hamstring problem he has been carrying since the international break, and Andoni Iraola has confirmed he will miss Sunday’s home game against Brighton as well. “It’s not another injury, he’s still not healed,” the Liverpool head coach said. Szoboszlai is training outside on his own, and Iraola does not think he is far away, but he has not trained with the group.
What Dortmund would want
Dortmund extended Nmecha’s contract to 2030 in March, two years beyond his old deal. Bild reported at the time that it includes a release clause of €80 million in 2027, falling to €70 million in 2028, and Sport Bild has since said the €80 million has to be triggered by the end of June 2027. In January there is no clause to trigger, and Dortmund would set the price. Nils-Ole Book, their sporting director, called a sale highly unlikely in August and left the door open only for astronomical sums.
Nmecha turned 26 on 10 October. He came through Manchester City’s academy, moved to Wolfsburg in 2021 and joined Dortmund in July 2023 for a reported €30 million. He has two goals this season, both in the last ten minutes of a 3-0 win over Paderborn, and Niko Kovač’s side went top of the Bundesliga with Saturday’s 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
A summer deal, if anything
I would be surprised if this goes anywhere in January. Dortmund have no reason to sell a first-team midfielder halfway through a season in which they are near the top, and Liverpool have two players they rate more highly. The summer is a different matter. If the clause works the way Bild described it, Liverpool would know exactly what Nmecha costs, and they would not need Dortmund’s permission to pay it.