Manchester United were desperate to bring in midfield reinforcements close to deadline day, but none of their moves ultimately panned out.
Carlos Baleba was seen as the dream acquisition, but Brighton’s valuation meant INEOS were in no position to go after the Cameroonian in this window.
As a result, the Red Devils tried for Conor Gallagher on loan, but Atletico Madrid refused to entertain such a request as they were only open to a permanent deal.
Angelo Stiller of VfB Stuttgart had emerged as another late option, but as per CaughtOffside, the German snubbed the chance to come to Old Trafford.
Stiller race
And now, as per the publication, the 20-time English league champions will not have it easy to land the 24-year-old midfielder in the upcoming windows.
Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Arsenal are all interested in the Germany international. Stuttgart will not allow him to leave on the cheap.
There were mentions of the midfielder having a £32 million release clause, but the Bundesliga side can cancel it for £2 million, which means they are in an advantageous position.
In reality, they will demand close to €60 million, which means not too many teams will be able to lure the ex-Bayern ace away from the MHP Arena.
“Manchester United made a strong late push to sign Angelo Stiller from VfB Stuttgart during the closing days of the summer transfer window, but the German midfielder rejected their advances, sources close to the agents industry have informed CaughtOffside.
“The Old Trafford hierarchy even explored triggering his £32 million release clause, but the clause is only valid in certain windows. Complicating matters further, Stuttgart can cancel it for just €2 million, giving the club strong leverage to block an exit.
Price rise
“Stiller’s decision hasn’t deterred other suitors. Liverpool have been tracking him for months, seeing him as a player capable of raising their midfield’s technical level.
“Bayern Munich, where he progressed through the youth academy, are also considering bringing him back to Bavaria. His Munich background keeps the door open for a potential homecoming.
“Elsewhere, Real Madrid have shown informal interest, though they are yet to formalise their intentions. Barcelona, under Hansi Flick, have added Stiller to their shortlist, but the Catalan side’s ongoing financial struggles make any deal extremely difficult. Among English clubs, Arsenal are thought to be one of the strongest contenders.”
Angelo Stiller would be a fantastic acquisition for Amorim but he would struggle without the ball in the Premier League. Hence why he is seen as more of a central midfielder than a defensive midfielder.
This explains why INEOS are likely to go all out to land Baleba in January. He fits the bill perfectly.
Feature image Alex Grimm via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
