Stuttgart had a 10% sell-on agreement with Roma. It is thought that he was sold to Chelsea for ~ €40 million. After you subtract the €8 million Stuttgart received from the original sale to Roma, it's estimated that they would receive at least €3.2 million (10% of 32 million). Obviously, it could be more, or less, depending on the actual transfer fee.
From the Stuttgarter Nachrichten, it looks like there is another loanee, this one from BVB Borussia Dortmund: Dzenis Burnic (19 y.o.). http://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten....nic.0d76fbc9-a6cb-4674-b828-cf6ef3045874.html
The defense is strengthened: VfB have acquired Ron-Robert Zieler from Leicester City in the BPL. http://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten....ins.2ed419f0-1ddd-4fb5-a09a-ccf25fdd9006.html This will help to push Mitch Langerak & Jens Grahl to improve. I guess we'll see if one of them wants to move.
I was expecting a backup keeper with Uphoff gone, but this may be our new starting keeper. We definitely have two good keepers, as we should, for the BL. I don't expect either to end with zero appearances like Uphoff did. Still... this is not the defender I am looking for.
Don't try to use your Jedi mind tricks on me! I am also hopeful that some of that Rüdiger money will get at least one more quality, in-his-prime defender.
We have a new left back. Ailton Ferreira Silva, or just Ailton, is not the finished product I think, but his size, speed, and technical ability means he's not far off. Insúa has been solid, so he's in a spot where he can develop. I hope our right back purchase, whenever that happens, is someone who can step into the first team.
Well looks like we have added some central defender depth: http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/...kel_badstuber-wechselt-zum-vfb-stuttgart.html I'm not sure at what level Badstuber is compared to his peak, but even if he is 80-90% of what he used to be he will be better than some of the defending we saw before being relegated.
The second team just let Huddersfield tie the match at 3-3, when they had a 3-1 lead in the second half. Defensive reinforcements can't come too soon. I just hope Badstuber stays healthy. If he does, we might actually have a B1 defense.
I saw the rumor of this, and didn't think it was realistic enough to mention. The free transfer certainly gives them more room to find the right back they are looking for.
The fact that it was free is a huge windfall. From the little coverage of the move that was available so far, it seems like Bayern had agreed to let him move on a free as it seemed like he was going to move outside the Bundesliga.
Looks like Badstubber signed a 1 year deal: http://www.vfb.de/en/vfb/latest/news/professionals/2017/verpflichtung-holger-badstuber/ Not sure if he didn't want to commit or if the club didn't want to sign him long term until they see what level he is at following all his injuries. Also, speaking of people headed over from Bayern: https://www.bavarianfootballworks.c...ern-munich-technical-director-michael-reschke That is quite the large poach from Bayern and it sounds like he is bringing his top scout with him. I'm not well versed enough, is there a major difference between technical and sporting director? So was this a "promotion" for Reschke?
It's official: http://www.vfb.de/en/vfb/latest/news/professionals/2017/verpflichtung-holger-badstuber/
For me personally, I hope middle-of-the-pack, but anything above the relegation zone is OK with me. Offense looks to be OK, but defense is still sketchy.
I would be completely happy with middle of the pack as well. After fighting relegation for multiple seasons before finally being sent down, I would be happy if come March/April relegation isn't a concern. It would be nice to have a couple month run in at the end of a season to not have to worry about relegation. Hopefully after a stabilizing season or two they can start to be back at the top of the league where of club of their stature should be.
OK. It appears there is one last gasp before the season starts: http://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten....ine.361007ff-1960-4a08-8c75-4a2fe2413877.html He is an experienced left fullback, who will replace Emiliano Insua in the short term. Also, from the same article, Jean Zimmer will be loaned to Fortuna Düsseldorf on a one-year loan.
From a few days ago, Santiago Ascacibar of Estudiantes de La Plata. The 20-year-old midfielder won't be available for Mainz, but is expected to be given some playing time soon to see how he handles the Bundesliga. http://www.vfb.de/de/vfb/aktuell/neues/profis/2017/verpflichtung-santiago-ascacibar/
Several things happening, including mostly departures: 1. Mitch Langerak is leaving for UD Levante in Spain since Zieler was named starter over him. 2. Jerome Onguene will transfer to Le Havre(?) in Ligue 2. 3. Julian Green will transfer to SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the B2. 4. The Jonny Castro (RHB from Celta Vigo) transfer has failed. Arrival(?): 1. Alexander Meyer (from Energie Cottbus) is coming in to replace Langerak and to fight for the #2 GK position with Jens Grahl. 2. Various Portuguese media reported on a VfB interest in Iuri Medeiros, from the academy of Sporting Lisbon. There is also interest in the young winger from VfL Wolfsburg.
The Stuttgarter Nachrichten is saying that VfB will soon welcome Andreas Beck, a 30 year old right fullback from Besiktas. Beck started out at Stuttgart in 2006, transferred to Hoffenheim in 2008 (where he stayed for 7 years), then to Besiktas for two years. http://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten....ung.141f03c2-0385-4a78-b719-78fa5a645097.html
It looked like we were ready to trade Matthias Zimmermann to Norwich or Crystal palace. That's off as he has torn his ACL in a test match with Ingolstadt. I didn't even know we played test matches midweek. It's a shame, because he played great for us when called upon. He was up and coming. I hope this does not derail his progress.
Yeah, that's a real shame. My question is why he was playing in a friendly, when he was on the trading block, with an approaching deadline? That's not the way I've been taught to do business...
Now that the smoke has cleared, let's look at the window for future reference. (from Transfermarkt) Coming In: PlayerPositionFromFee Santiago AscacibarDMEstudiantes de La Plata€8m Chadrac AkoloRWFC Sion€6m Ron-Robert ZielerGKLeicester City€4m Anastasios DonisFJuventus€4m Andreas BeckRBBesitkas JK€2.5m Orel MangalaDMRSC Anderlecht€1.8m Ailton Ferreira SilvaLBGD Estoril Praia€1m Alexander MeyerGKEnergie Cottbuss€400k Holger BadstuberCBBayern MünchenFree Dennis AogoLBSchalke 04Free Dzenis BurnicDMBorussia DortmundLoan Moving On: PlayerPositionToFee Alexandru MaximAM/WFSV Mainz 05€3m Mitchell LangerakGKLevante UD€600k Florian KleinRBAustria WienFree Benjamin UphoffGKKarlsruher SCFree Tobias WernerLWFC NürnbergLoan Jérôme OnguénéCBRB SalzburgLoan Jean ZimmerRBFortuna DüsseldorfLoan Julian GreenAMSpVgg Greuther FürthLoan I have yet to be impressed by our top 4 purchases. Zieler is OK, but so was Langerak. On the other end, Badstuber, Mangala and Aogo all look like good pick-ups. I did not expect this extensive of an overhaul after 2.BL. If Beck does well at RB, then we should be solid defensively. On the offense, if Akolo isn't worth his €6m, I don't see us making much noise.
It will be interesting to see if Zieler improves since he is now a starter. Hopefully regular playing time gets him back to the form that got him on the national team rosters.