Manchester United failed with a deadline day pursuit of Angelo Stiller but the Red Devils are not giving up hope of signing the VFB Stuttgart, according to a report from Germany.
A gap in midfield
United have been on the hunt for a new midfielder all summer with Ruben Amorim identifying the engine room as a weakness in his squad.
However, the decision was made – led by sporting director Jason Wilcox – to prioritise the misfiring attack instead, with over £200 million spent securing Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko to secure a new look front three.
This left little room in the budget for reinforcements elsewhere on the pitch.
The club’s first-choice target in midfield was Brighton starlet Carlos Baleba, who lit up the Premier League last season with his performances on the south coast.
But a move for the Cameroon international was ruled out after the Seagulls refused to consider his sale, despite Amorim pushing for the 21-year-old to be signed
Alternative names were considered, including Crystal Palace powerhouse Adam Wharton, Atalanta dynamo Ederson, and Amorim’s former pupil at Sporting CP, Morten Hjulmand.
But it was Stiller, Stuttgart’s deep-lying playmaker who has drawn comparisons to his compatriot, Toni Kroos, who United are reported to have launched a last-minute raid for in the final days of the transfer window.
A failed deadline day raid
German newspaper Bild reveals United “knocked” on the door for Stiller on Sunday evening in what would have a “mega deal” to sign the 24-year-old midfielder.
However, the Germany international has a firm eye on next summer’s World Cup in the United States, believing Stuttgart offers him the best place to ensure his place on the plane in Julian Nagelsmann’s squad.
This led him to reject the advances from Old Trafford.
On Monday, a report relayed by The Peoples Peoples revealed there were “no negotiations” between Stiller and United, which would line up with a late Sunday evening approach being immediately rejected by the midfield maestro.
Bild states Stiller could become a target for United next year, however, with the Red Devils having failed to secure any option this summer, so this story appears to have a few chapters left to be written.
Featured image Alex Grimm via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
