January 2025 Transfer Primer: VfB Stuttgart

VfB Stuttgart

Estimated Autumn Transfer Balance = -€8.5 million

The fact that the surprise 2023/24 Bundesliga runners-up finished the calendar year in 10th place doesn't generate all that much concern in German footballing circles. After all, Sebastian Hoeneß' Swabians currently sit only four points behind fourth place RB Leipzig. The team has delivered more than its fair share of convincing performances both in Bundesliga play and in the Champions' League. Much of Stuttgart's stalls can be attributed to hard luck injuries in the attacking corps. Optimism for the new calendar year abounds. 

In general - when one takes the summer losses of Serhou Guirassy, Waldemar Anton, and Hiroki Ito into account - Hoeneß' team should be commended for coping so well with the new realty. Stuttgart's points average points total through 15 league rounds this season (1.55) is only bested by that of the 2006/07 campaign (1.88); the year in which they happened to win the title. Over the course of the entire calendar year, the Swabians appropriately sit third in average points per game behind Leverkusen and Bayern. 

Fabian Wohlgemuth and the VfB administrative team catch some flak for their personnel decisions over the summer. Ermedin Demirovic and Jeff Chabot haven't performed quite as well as hoped, though neither new addition exactly qualifies as a flop either. The choice to build the defensive ranks around injury-prone actors like Dan-Axel Zagadou and Ameen Al-Dakhil, on the other hand, counts as poor logic. Obviously, the unfortunate loss of El Bilal Touré right after the Atalanta loanee was coming into his own could not be foreseen. 

Winning the league may be out of sight, but another season of European football remains a reasonable goal. Moreover, Stuttgart's current European journey is by no means over. A healthier VfB squad could still gain the necessary points against 2025 UCL opponents Bratislava and PSG to punch through to the knockout phase of the current competition. It must be emphasized that the immediate future of the German national team lies on this roster. Deniz Undav, Angelo Stiller, Chris Führich, Jamie Leweling, and even Nick Woltemade have much to contribute in the new calendar year. 

Dead-Weight Ledger = Frans Krätzig (LB), Nikolas Nartey (CM), Luca Raimund (RW), Wahid Faghir (LS), Thomas Kastanaras (CF)

Like BVB, Stuttgart have less of a need to focus on parking prospects elsewhere as they do have a team currently playing in the German third division. A 32-man professional roster could nevertheless still stand to benefit from some trimming. Luca Raimund and Nikolas Nartey should probably be moved permanently. Wahid Faghir and Thomas Kastanaras, based on their performances in the third division, may actually not constitute dead-weight depending on how one wishes to assess such things.

The same applies to unlisted prospects such as Justin Diehl, Jarzinho Malanga, Benjamin Boakye, Leonhard Münst, and Eliot Bujupi. Many of the better performing VfB II players accord Hoeneß quality youngsters to call upon if he receives the opportunity to construct a new Champions' League roster in the Spring. Reports suggest the failed Frans Krätzig experiment is well on its way toward being corrected. The FCB loanee may end up being the lone actor cut loose.

Expiring contracts = (None)

Excluding loan players and the above-mentioned Nartey, no VfB actors on the roster possess working papers set to expire this summer. This actually serves as an impressive testament to the manner in which Wohlgemuth's team has been incredibly pro-active in getting talent to ink long-term deals. Chris Führich, Enzo Millot, Angelo Stiller, and (most recently) Jamie Leweling all received new deals just as soon as their performance on the pitch merited it. Head-coach Hoeneß himself got a favorable new deal last Spring before any other clubs could snatch him away. 

Further Needs =  LB, CB, AM, RW, LS

The VfB front office team could definitely use some more help in central defense. At present, however, the only action cropping up in the rumor mills revolves around additions to the attacking corps. Reliable sources link Hoffenheim's Jacob Bruun Larsen and Hertha Berlin's Ibrahim Maza with moves to the BaWü capital. Köln fullback/winger Max Finkgräfe may also be on the way. One assumes that at least two new center backs will arrive before next month is out. 

Rumored Links = Max Finkgräfe (LB), Anthony Dennis (DM), Jakub Moder (CM), Ibrahim Maza (ATTM), Jacob Bruun Larsen (LW), Darnell Eric Bile (LW), Gift Orban (CF)