According to Kicker, Joshua Guilavogui is unlikely to complete a move to VfB Stuttgart. A contract until June 2025 was reportedly agreed upon between the club and the player according to L’Equipe.
Due to Stuttgart’s lack of money, they would be unable to broker a deal with Wolfsburg that would appeal to both teams. While Wolfsburg may prefer to keep Guilavogui which could potentially lead to a new contract for the 32-year-old whose current contract expires in the summer.
Bruno Labbadia viewed Guilaovgui as a key piece for Stuttgart not only on the pitch as it would mean Wataru Endo would play a different role but also in the dressing room. Guilaovgui had played a similar role under Labbadia when the German was in charge at Wolfsburg.
However, Niko Kovac does not want to give up Guilaovgui and is not keen on him leaving in the winter, when asked about the situation Kovac said: “Everyone can see that Josh is very important for the team. Both as a person and as a footballer. He’s a very fine person with a lot of empathy. He keeps the lads together, teaches the young players a thing or two. I have no need to give up Josh.”
Stuttgart are currently 16th in the Bundesliga table and are on their third manager of the season in Labbadia as they have previously had Pellegrino Matarazzo and Michael Wimmer both in charge in the first part of the season. They begin the year against Mainz on the 21st January.
GGFN | Jack Meenan
