United's route to Stiller gets tougher: clause expires

An unexpected obstacle has emerged in Manchester United's summer midfield operation. According to Bild, the Red Devils face a tougher route to German midfielder Angelo Stiller of Stuttgart: the €36.5 million release clause in his contract expired today, July 15. United had scouted the German midfielder multiple times throughout last season, but time ran out without the clause being triggered.

Full control of the negotiation now sits with Stuttgart. The club knows the clause will become active again in the summer of 2027, and in the meantime is in a position to demand a considerably higher fee for any potential sale. The background story shows just how complicated the file has become: Stuttgart paid Stiller a fee back in April to remove the clause, a shrewd move that scuppered United's and Chelsea's plans to trigger it before the World Cup and quickly close a deal.

According to Christian Falk, Stuttgart, having bought out the clause, are targeting a fee of around €50 million for the player; the club is also reported to be scouting Southampton's Casper Jander as a potential replacement. Juventus are also said to be in the race for Stiller, who is under contract until 2028 and stood out this season with 2,229 minutes and 5 assists in the Bundesliga, alongside an 88.2 percent pass accuracy rate.

The current state of the file shows United's plans do not rest on Stiller alone. Searching for at least two midfield reinforcements following Casemiro's departure and having already added Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans this summer, the Red Devils are reported to have turned to Roma's Manu Koné as their third midfield target; the Stiller file, meanwhile, awaits reshaping on the German club's terms.

Source: Bild
Image: Yahoo Sports