Angelo Stiller has been linked with a January move to Arsenalplaceholder image
Angelo Stiller has been linked with a January move to Arsenal | Getty Images for VW
The five-time international was heavily linked with moves to the Premier League throughout last summer
Premier League title hopefuls Arsenal have emerged as the favourites to land highly-coveted German international Angelo Stiller in January.
The Gunners have assembled a star-studded midfield which features the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino and new signings Martin Zubimendia and Christian Noorgaard. However, it’s reported that Mikel Arteta is keen to dip into the market again to add on more players in the middle of the park.
Stiller is a player on the radar of the capital club after a series of stellar performances for VfB Stuttgart in the German Bundesliga. It’s widely reported that Stiller was a target for Manchester United in the final hours of the transfer window, though it’s now thought that Arsenal hold a stronger position heading into January.
Angelo Stiller turned down late Man Utd move
Caught Offside understands that United tried to bring Angelo Stiller into their squad to bolster their midfield on deadline day.
However, it is understood that both the player and his team rejected their advances to remain at the MHPArena. The Red Devils had been alerted to a possible £27.8m release clause in Stiller’s contract, but it’s believed their efforts to activate that were unsuccessful due to the clause only being applicable in certain windows.
Instead, it’s reported by The Express that the German Cup winners have set a valuation of around £52m for their midfield talisman. They add the Gunners are in a strong position to sign the midfielder after United’s late attempt to sign him failed.
Why Angelo Stiller is attracting interest from Arsenal
Angelo Stiller, a former teammate of Newcastle United club-record signing Nick Woltemade, is a five-time German international that currently plays for VfB Stuttgart. He came through the academy at local club Bayern Munich and played 50 times for their reserve team in the third tier of German football before progressing into the first team.
He made just three senior appearances in total for the German champions before being moved on to Hoffenheim.
Stiller made 52 appearances across all competitions for the club, scoring four times and contributing three assists from the defensive midfield area before earning a switch to a Stuttgart side that had only narrowly avoided relegation the year before.
In Stiller’s first season with the club, he helped them secure a shock second place finish - while picking up one more point than his former club Bayern Munich. He was named in the Athletic’s Bundesliga Team of the Season for his heroics as the Reds secured their highest league finish since 2007.
Stiller’s ability to dictate the midfield battle and control possession has made him a huge asset throughout his time at the club. Last season saw the team drop to ninth in the table while exiting the Champions League at the League-phase, however, he was able to help Stuttgart win silverware for the first time since 2013 as they triumphed 4-2 over Arminia Bielefeld in the German Cup final.
The midfielder has ambitions of starting for Germany in next summer’s World Cup, and is likely to face a dilemma between regular first team football at Stuttgart or challenging himself at one of England’s biggest clubs.
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