€60m fee?
©TM/IMAGO
“The contract renewal was an important signal both internally and externally,” VfB Stuttgart chairman of the board Alexander Wehrle said in an interview with Transfermarkt.de when asked about Angelo Stiller signing a new contract until 2028 with the club. Speaking to Wehrle, it also became clear that Stiller doesn’t have an exit clause in his contract this upcoming summer. A clause exists but won’t be active until the summer of 2026. That means interested clubs, among them Bayern Munich, would have to negotiate a deal with the midfielder. Another club that has now shown concrete interest is, according to the very well-informed Stuttgarter Nachrichten, Premier League champions Liverpool.
According to the report by the Stuttgarter Nachrichten, which Transfermarkt has confirmed, Stuttgart wants a club record transfer fee for the 24-year-old midfielder. A fee in the region of €60 million would make the Swabians consider a potential transfer. A few that could make a deal difficult. Although a Premier League giant, Liverpool aren’t exactly one of the biggest spenders in comparison to the size of the club. A glimpse in the Transfermarkt database reveals that Liverpool only paid €60m or more five times in the long history of the club. Stuttgart, in the meantime, have never earned a fee in that region. Benjamin Pavard holds the current record. Now at Inter Milan Pavard joined Bayern Munich for €35m in 2019.
At a glimpse: Liverpool’s record signings / Stuttgart’s record sales
What is Stiller’s market value? The central midfielder was able to increase his market value to €38 million in March. That makes the four-time German national team player the most valuable player in the squad ahead of teammate Enzo Millot. According to media reports from Germany, Stiller’s exit clause will be €36.5m next summer. Stuttgart, however, can purchase that clause from the player for €2m. In other words, the Bundesliga club will remain in a comfortable position to negotiate a potential transfer this summer or next. Furthermore, Liverpool, who were already interested in the player last summer, aren’t the only club interested. Stiller was born and raised in Munich and developed on Bayern Munich’s €70m Campus. There are plans on the Säbener Straße to bring the player back eventually.
The next Toni Kroos – Why top clubs want Angelo Stiller
What sort of player is Stiller? The best comparison is former Real Madrid great Toni Kroos. It is a comparison that has come up frequently when Transfermarkt spoke to industry sources about Stiller’s potential. On top of that, German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann went out of his way to mention Stiller alongside Bayern’s Aleksandar Pavlovic as potential replacements for Kroos following his country’s exit from the 2024 European Championships. Nagelsmann then reiterated Stiller’s importance for Germany going forward in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine. “They’re two players we are thinking about and who, in terms of their age structure, would actually be perfect for the World Cup.”
Stiller has downplayed those comments. “Nobody can replace Toni Kroos,” Stiller has said when asked about the Kroos comparisons. “For me, he is the best German player of all time. … Toni and I are similar in terms of playing style, and just like him, I try to put my stamp on the game with my strengths.” Germany are indeed in a good position. At the back of Kroos’ retirement, Die Nationalmannschaft have not one but two players that have almost identical statistical outputs to Kroos. Indeed, Gegenpressing highlighted Pavlovic’s phenomenal rise last season. But what about Stiller’s numbers? According to FBREF, Stiller ranked in the 80th percentile or above in all but one key pass statistic among Bundesliga players.
Player Comparison
Defensive Midfield
Position
Central Midfield
Jun 30, 2028
Contract until
–
Full Player Comparison
The only shortcoming appears to be pass competition for long passes where he ranks in the 65th percentile. Stiller was at the top among his peers in every other category. Furthermore, insiders have described Stiller as not at the end of his development. A narrative that also fits two other German greats. Both Kroos and Bastian Schweinsteiger, before him, didn’t hit their prime until their mid to late 20s. Indeed, Kroos was sold for just €25m and Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid at the age of 24. The Bayern bosses at the time didn’t believe in his potential—a big mistake in retrospect. Kroos would become the most decorated German player in history and remain at his prime until his final season. There is now a chance Bayern might have repeated that mistake regarding Stiller. Once a promising player of their academy, Stiller left the club for Hoffenheim before joining Stuttgart. Now Bayern would certainly like him back. But with the likes of Liverpool interested, signing Stiller might now be extremely difficult.
