- Manchester United eye up Bundesliga midfielder
- Herladed as the next Toni Kroos
- Could cost up to £45 million
Manchester United have reportedly accelerated their pursuit of Angelo Stiller, targeting the VfB Stuttgart midfielder as they look to strengthen their engine room this summer.
The German has drawn comparisons to Toni Kroos, and his performances have attracted attention from across the continent.
United face competition from Chelsea, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid, all of whom continue to monitor his situation closely.
Stiller’s contract includes a £32.6 million release clause, although Stuttgart retain the option to buy it out for between £1.7 million and £3.4 million before negotiating a significantly higher fee.
United must now move decisively. Delay risks opening the door for Europe’s elite to step in and take control of the situation.
With Casemiro confirmed to be departing the club—and Manuel Ugarte possibly following him out in a revolving door summer—United must act fast to bolster the heart of the side to ensure they can compete next campaign.
Stiller to United?
According to Christian Falk of Sport BILD (via CF Bayern Insider), Manchester United are “concretely interested” and were also eyeing him last summer, but they arrived too late to secure a deal. He is said to have a €37.5m [£32.6m] release clause in his contract.
Stiller has made 45 appearances this season and has been key man for the Bundesliga side. That’s why Stuttgart are only open to selling him for around €50m [£43.5m].
That fee isn’t too expensive for INEOS and would allow them to further strengthen the midfield with a higher profile name such as £100m-rated Elliot Anderson, who the club continue to chase as their top target.’
Why Red Devils Want Stiller
Stiller compared the three other United midfielders who have played over 1000 minutes this season in a holding or central position, dominates. Whilst he may not excel in possession won, he leads the list for progressive passes, key passes, forward passes, and forward passes%, whilst ranking second for ball carrying and duels%.
Stiller, dubbed the ‘new Toni Kroos, would not be a like-for-like swap with Casemiro. A defensive midfielder in many aspects, but whilst Casemiro works more as an almost destroyer, Stiller is more of a tempo controller.
In many games, Stiller will drop back even further than the defensive midfield position, into the heart of the defence. Working as an almost-hybrid defender/midfielder, the German will orchestrate the back four, instructing them on where to go so his side is ready to start a counterattack.
United are currently screaming out for this kind of player. His playing style is reminiscent of United’s current interim manager, Michael Carrick, who has not been replaced at the club since his retirement in 2017.
