Now that we're in the Champions League, what will happen in the off-season? Will we be able to keep Führich, Guirassy, and/or Undav? Who are likely replacements? Pre-season, and 2024/2025 First-half in-season Posts here! VfB!
AC Milan are one of the clubs that is very interested in Serhou Guirassy. VfB have identified three Milan defenders who could come in the opposite direction: Jan-Carlo Simic, Pierre Kalulu, and Malick Thiaw. Milan are also interested in VfB defender Hiroki Ito. If Stuttgart are truly a top-class club, then they should be able to keep most of their stars for the Champions League campaign.
VfB have already signed another goalkeeper, Stefan Drljaca, from 3.B side Dynamo Dresden. He is 1.92m in height and only 25 years in age. BTW, Teak has been following Energie Cottbus for several years, ever since they were in 1.B. They dropped all the way down into the Regional League (Nordost) where they were mired for several seasons. Last year the won the Nordost group, but lost in the promotion playoffs. However this season they won Nordost again and are going directly UP to 3.B. Hey, you heard it here FIRST!
News report: Chris Führich is "leaning" towards joining Bayern "We Buy Our Competition" Munich. Why he wants to leave the 2nd place club for a lower club I do not understand. Transfer fee likely around €25-30m.
And 1.FC Köln defender Julian Chabot is said to be likely to join VfB Stuttgart for the next season. The 26-year-old played 32 matches for Köln (2,708 minutes) last season.
Stuttgart have activated the buy options on loanees Leonidas Stergiou and Jamie Leweling. Sky Germany is reporting that VfB "have deals for Werder Bremen’s Nick Woltemade, 1.FC Köln Justin Diehl and SC Freiburg’s Yannik Keitel all lined up and ready to be announced. All these players will add much-needed depth to the squad as they prepare for Champions League football next season."
I'm a little leary about defenders from AC. I'm not sure if it was their defense or goalkeepers, but they shipped quite a few goals that they shouldn't have.
Chabot is done as of this morning: https://www.vfb.de/en/vfb/latest/news/professionals/2324/verpflichtung-jeff-chabot/ I'm all on board with @Teak: if we're going to be a serious, world-class club (as we should want to be), we're going to have to demonstrate an ability to keep our best players. It's going to be a challenge. We know Bayern is going to come hard for Führich, and Milan has money to spend if they really want Guirassy and/or Ito. And we can be sure someone is going to be sniffing around for Deniz Undav. This is the time for some organizational fortitude.
Let's not forget VfB II are promoted with them. Them and Dortmund II are the only reserve teams in the BL.3 And looking at Die Zweite, let's see which big clubs managed to get out: Schalke 10th. Now that is a serious rebuild. HSV 4th. 6th year in BL.2 finishing 4th four times and 3rd twice. At least they won't lose a playoff this year! Hannover 6th Yeah, none of them made it. St Pauli and Holstein Kiel are coming up.
Fulham of the $illy Money EPL have submitted an €8m bid to buy Silas Mvumpa from Stuttgart. VfB are reported to want at least €16m.
It's time for VfB to step up and extend & increase contracts, so we're not left holding the bag when guys start leaving.
Stuttgart are one of several clubs interested in taking winger Omari Hutchinson on loan from Chel$ea. He spent last season on loan at Ipswich Town and helped them get promoted back to the Premier League. The 20-year-old scored 10 goals and provided 4 assists across 44 matches. In addition to VfB and Ipswich, two Dutch clubs (Ajax and Feyenoord) are also interested in Hutchinson.
Now it is being reported that Borussia Dortmund are eyeing the release clause in Waldemar Anton's contract. At €22.5m, Dortmund figure that they can afford it.
AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayern Munich are all interested in trying to get Serhou Guirassy for his €18-20m release clause value. Given that there are quite a few clubs wanting Serhou, perhaps VfB need to get a bidding war going. For his production the last two seasons, valuations in the range of €40-60m are more in line.
One candidate for striker that Stuttgart are looking at is Uruguayan Martin Satriano. His contract is owned by Inter Milan but they don't see a place for him and sent him out on loan for several seasons. Last seaon, on loan at Brest in the French first division, he helped them reach the Champions League with their 3rd place finish. He had 4 goals and 4 assists for them across 33 league matches. However, Inter have put a €10m price tag on him. Ouch! That is €2.5m per goal. Transfermarkt puts his value at €7m so there is likely negotiating room.
Tottenham have their eyes on both Chris Führich and Hiroki Ito. Does the Black Hole every develop their own talent? And Arsenal want Maximilian MIttelstadt.
Another shark sighting. Hansi Flick, the new Barcelona trainer, has cast his eye upon Angelo Stiller for the defensive midfielder position. Flick worked with Stiller before, at Bayern. Speculation is that at least €25m would be required to pry him away from VfB. Sigh. Unless you are one of the Richie Rich clubs, success one season means a stripping away of the talent before the next season.
<Fill in your favorite swear word HERE> Bayern signed Hiroki Ito! The transfer fee wasn’t made public but German magazine Kicker reported Bayern had met a release clause for an initial €23m ($25 million) plus possible add-on fees. Another report states that the release clause was €30m.