The next of our 18 Bundesliga transfer primers to be published here on Get German Football News covers VfB Stuttgart. The Württemberger find themselves precisely where the author predicted they would be at the beginning of the season. There’s also plenty to add to the glowing reviews the Swabians received upon giving them an Europa League check. Stuttgart have had a fabulous autumn. By all means, dig into the “celebratory Maultaschen” VfB fans!
The reigning DFB Pokal champs are doing well across all three competitions and sport an excellent roster. When one looks back at the concern Sebastian Hoeneß voiced on the final weekend of the transfer window, one almost has to laugh. The VfB front office proved once again that they could compensate for the loss of star-power. Wataru Endo gone? Waldemar Anton departed? Nick Woltemade plucked away? It matters not!
Many of the slid new arrivals ensured that those who left have already faded into the back recesses of the memory. Additionally, Stuttgart have thrived despite the fact that remaining attackers such as Deniz Undav and Ermedin Demirovic had to take their turns on the long-term injured reserve list. In many respects, this slightly rebranded club is higher up than it has any business being.
VfB Stuttgart
They remain “furchtlos and treu”!
Winter Predictions Check, VfB Stuttgart
Predicted Table Position – 6th place
Actual Table Position – 6th place, 26 points
(8-W, 2-D, 5-L)
(+3 G-Diff)
The five league losses came against Bayern München, RB Leipzig, Union Berlin, Hamburger SV, and Freiburg. Freiburg and Union were able to batter Hoeneß’ team at the beginning of the year when things were most unsettled. Losses, admittedly pretty heavy ones, against the heavyweights can be tolerated. The HSV wobble (with the man advantage) happens to be a tough one to swallow, but the Hanseatic hosts simply rode their luck and capitalized on every last break.
Merlin Polizin’s Hamburg got a chance to snag their storylines in the one league defeat that defies explanation. One shouldn’t forget that – after two Europa League disappointments – Undav provided this club with the ultimate punch backbefore going on a scoring spree and generating salacious storylines of his own. The defense has also solidified, shutting out five opponents across all competitions in the final two months prior to the break.
Recent Bundesliga results against Bremen, Augsburg, Dortmund still stick in the mind, as does the Pokal besting of Bochum and the wonderful UEL performances against Feyenoord, Denventer, and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Granted, the team faces some tough tests in Leverkusen before the Hin-Runde draws to a close. They should nevertheless be well poised to pick up points once the Rück gifts them a re-run of some of the points dropped at the start of the campaign.
Autumn Transfer Assessment, VfB Stuttgart
Estimated Summer Transfer Balance = +€63.5m
The enormous chunk of change pocketed by Woltemade’s sale has barely been touched. The first order of business for Fabian Wohlgemuth and Christian Gentner when it comes to dispersing those funds will be to conclude the permanent capture of new Bundesliga superstar Bilal El Khannouss. Words can’t adequately capture what the absurdly talented Moroccan international has meant to both this team and German football as a whole. El Khannouss is simply a platinum level “transfer hit”.
One can say the same about young Chema Andres, who has already displaced captain Atakan Karazor in midfield. The 20-year-old is total diamond. Record transfer Lorenz Assignon has been a bit more hit-or-miss. The Frenchman sometimes seems to have difficulty adjusting to Hoeneß’ heavy squad rotations. Assignon nevertheless concluded the year very strongly in the Europa League with three consecutive matches in which he recorded a scorer point. Even in his shakier matches, Assignon’s potential shines through.
Former club hero Tiago Tomas returned to help provide the team with plenty of intangibles and has also knocked home four goals across all competitions. Badredine Bouanani can’t help but look like something of a failure when standing in the shadow of his fellow North African El Khannouss, but (just like Assignon) has really delivered in the Europa League. One does expect more from both Bouanani and Tomas in general, however. The latter – due to his ability to fill in at multiple positions – probably possesses better prospects in the new calendar year.
One mustn’t forget that this new transfer class helped Stuttgart absorb the loss not only of Woltemade, but also Enzo Millot. German mainstays such as Chris Führich, Jamie Leweling, and Maxi Mittelstädt also shook off some of their own form dips to contribute at the right times. Two of the longer term prospects procured this summer (Noah Darvich and Lazar Jovanovic) understandably haven’t panned out just yet. Darvich still hardly qualifies as a flop as he’s doing well for VfB II in the 3. Liga. The Jovanovic situation can be easily remedied by simply loaning him out.
Dead Weight Ledger and Expiring Contracts, VfB Stuttgart
Jovanovic segues us perfectly into the January business on the docket. As of this filing, most all German footballing media sources report that a developmental loan out back to Red Star Belgrade has been secured. The VfB administrative team should also have Jovan Milosevic’s permanent sale to Partizan sewn up shortly. After these two transactions, the “dead weight” situation on the Stuttgart roster has run into a few surprises. Bouanani and notorious Danish flop Nikolas Nartey were initially on the list, but both have been struck due to recent usage.
Nartey’s most unexpected revival under Hoeneß leaves only former Freiburg midfielder Yannik Keitel as the only bonafide piece of “dead-weight” on this 32-man-roster. The situation surrounding fullback Leondias Stergious also runs into unexpected complications. The Swiss international doesn’t possess great playing prospects behind Assignon and Josha Vagnoman, but it appears Stuttgart wish to avoid loaning him out to Heidenheim due to persistent injury concerns in the central defensive corps.
Nartey (one of three players on expiring contracts) might still be on the move. It’s possible his recent appearances were simply showcases for an upcoming transfer. There exists virtually no chance of veteran Pascal Stenzel re-upping with the club. The sad case of Dan-Axel Zagadou simply needs to end. Us Bundesliga beat reporters simply can’t stand it anymore! No more injury articles! We stand ready to compose a tribute piece and be done with it!
Dead-Weight Ledger = Leonidas Stergiou (RB), Yannik Keitel (DM), Noah Darvich (ATTM), Lazar Jovanovic (RW)
Expiring contracts = Dan-Axel Zagadou (CB), Pascal Stenzel (RB), Nikolas Nartey (CM)
Dead Weight Ledger and Expiring Contracts, VfB Stuttgart
Quite a lot of detail has emerged when it comes to rumors on Stuttgart’s upcoming January striker search. Some sources suggest that the pursuit of Nottingham Forest’s Arnaud Kaliumendo is really heating up. Most of the reliably-sourced traffic in the rumor mills still revolves around younger, longer term prospects currently being targeted by the club. It’s already all-but-confirmed that the Swabians have sealed the deal for Ecuadoran talent Jeremy Arévalo. Which exact forward will be brought in to help immediately remains a mystery.
Further Needs = LB, ATTM, RW, CF
Rumored Links = Gady Beyuku (RB), Mika Baur (CM), Cole Campbell (RW), Toni Fruk (ATTM), Chuki (ATTM), Milan Vukotic (ATTM), Jeremy Arévalo (CF), Promise David (CF), Romeo Vermant (CF), Arnaud Kaliumendo (CF), Rafiu Durosinmi (CF)
