Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl expressed confidence on Wednesday about the progress of Nico Schlotterbeck's contract extension.

"We have been in talks for a long time about a contract extension," Kehl told Sky Sports Germany. "I can assure you that we are working on it."

"It will take a few days. Not because he hasn't been convinced, but because he wants to find himself and get back into the rhythm of the game. He has big goals and he wants to achieve them with Dortmund. I remain very optimistic."

Kyle's comments were a direct response to Schlotterbeck's previous comments. Before the Champions League match against Athletic Bilbao, the 25-year-old Schlotterbeck was relatively cautious about his contract extension: "I feel very good at Dortmund. Due to injury issues, negotiations with the club were put on hold. I wanted to focus on myself first and give my knee time to recover. But there is no doubt that we have a great deal of respect and appreciation for each other."

He added: "Honestly, my contract extension isn't going to happen anytime soon. We'll have that conversation, I'll sit down with Kyle and work out a plan, and we'll see how it goes."

Schlotterbeck's contract at Dortmund expires in June 2027. According to the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ), Dortmund had planned to increase his annual salary to €10 million before he tore his left knee meniscus, with the intention of developing him into a future captain. However, with Schlotterbeck's season-ending injury last April, the renewal process was put on hold.

For Dortmund, a healthy Schlotterbeck is undoubtedly the key pillar of the team's defense. Since joining Dortmund for 20 million euros in 2022, Schlotterbeck has played 127 times for Dortmund, scored 6 goals and provided 16 assists.