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Manchester United’s need for new midfielders is hardly one of football’s best-kept secrets.
Left midfield
The Red Devils showed significant interest in Carlos Baleba over the summer and have also been linked with fellow Premier League stars Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson.
United have also been linked with a move for Connor Gallagher and VfB Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller is also said to be of interest, with a late move already reported in August.
The Stiller links have recently resurfaced and there are suggestions that the club could have to pay around €50 million for the midfielder.
Long-term successor to Bruno Fernandes
The Portugal international has been tasked by Ruben Amorim to play as a central midfielder for United, even though he has played most of his career as a number 10.
from Amorim justification is that Fernandes’ quality on the ball allows the team to better control the midfield battle.
At first glance, Stiller may not seem like a natural replacement for Fernandes. The German is not a big goalscorer and rarely gets as close to goal as United’s captain.
Nevertheless, if Amorim wants to continue with the current midfield setup, he would be an elite and affordable option.
Stiller’s game play
As previously mentioned, Stiller isn’t much of a scorer. He just 11 goals in 199 senior appearances.
Although he is an elite master at controlling the rhythm of a game.
Has been quieter referred to as “one of the best midfielders in the major European leagues”.
Scouts also note that the 24-year-old German “is a pivot with a lot of category and vision of the game, good at recovery and important in creating attacking play. In Germany, many see that the characteristics of his game are very similar to those of Toni Kroos.”
Seen as one “architect”Stiller excels at passing the ball forward to launch attacks, something Fernandes is currently being asked to do.
“Without a doubt, the Munich-born player excels most in passing. Tactically, he positions himself between the two central defenders to improve the fluidity of the game from the base.” His passing accuracy is also incredibly high, averaging over 90% accuracy per match.
Impressive statistics
The German certainly stands out when you compare him to other midfielders under the age of 24 in Europe.
Last season, compared to him in the top seven leagues in Europe for midfielders under 24, he was first in terms of forward passes, long balls and progressive passes.
Statman Dave has also highlighted his insane ball skills, posting on
Angelo Stiller played 9.49 progressive passes p90 in the Bundesliga last season, putting him in the top 3% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues.
World-class distributor. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/76ANIcRwjU
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) August 21, 2025
Price
At just €50 million, Stiller would be a significantly cheaper option than Anderson or Wharton.
If United were to sign the German, they would need an elite midfielder like Baleba, and he would certainly eat up a large chunk of the budget.
Therefore, pursuing Stiller would represent a wise economic choice without skipping quality.
Ethos
Moreover, Stiller represents the kind of signings Ineos wants to make.
The club has often said lately that they want to sign the players who are on the verge of breaking through to global stars, and the Stuttgart midfielder certainly fits that bill.
Signing players like Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, who were ready to join a global club, has been successful so far, so there’s no reason why Stiller can’t make the jump.
Eligibility
In addition, Stiller plays in midfield two for Stuttgart. Unlike Fernandes, he is by definition a defensive midfielder, who likes to shield the back four.
The defensive aspect of the game comes naturally to the 24-year-old, with scouts claiming: “Stiller’s main characteristic is his ability to win ground duels very comfortably and cleanly. He is always at the right moment to break down a dangerous play and is very reminiscent of N’Golo Kanté in this section.”
He is often perfectly positioned to cut out a ball and launch his team forward on the counter with precise long passes.
A tasty thought for United fans with Bryan Mbeumo, Amad, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko to choose from.
Featured image Alexander Hassenstein via Getty Images
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