Stuttgart’s Stiller is open to leaving, and we think Liverpool should be listening
Every few months a holding midfielder becomes available somewhere in Europe and Liverpool supporters collectively sigh, because we have been here before. The latest name to drift into that conversation is Angelo Stiller of VfB Stuttgart, and on this occasion we think the case for a move is stronger than usual.
The trigger is a change in the player’s representation. Florian Plettenberg reports that Stiller and his agency, Sports360, have split by mutual agreement, although it was the agency that pushed for the break after the two sides disagreed about the next step in his career. More importantly, the reporter says the 25-year-old is once again very receptive to leaving, with Saudi Arabia, MLS and Turkey all mentioned as possible destinations. His contract in Stuttgart runs until 2028.
🚨⚪️🔴 EXCL | Angelo Stiller and his agency, Sports360, have parted ways by mutual consent. However, the initiative came from the agency, with differing views on the player’s future.
Stiller is once again very open to a move. Saudi Arabia, MLS and Türkiye are also options.… pic.twitter.com/OwXStgMf54Read more: Araujo’s late limp in Buenos Aires puts Iraola on alert before United visit
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) November 12, 2026
Let us be clear about what this is and what it is not. Nothing here says Liverpool have opened talks, made an approach or even placed Stiller at the top of a shortlist. It is a change in circumstances, not a bid. But clubs that have tracked a player in the past tend to revisit the file when the door opens a little wider, and Liverpool have been connected with him before. It is not hard to work out why.
The hole that never got filled
Ever since Fabinho left, Liverpool have been trying to solve the No 6 problem without actually buying a No 6. We have seen converted number eights, makeshift partnerships and plenty of hope that energy and intelligence would cover the cracks. At times it has worked well enough. Over a full season, against the best sides, it has not.
The issue is structural. A team can have lovely technicians in the middle of the park, but without one player whose first instinct is to hold position, screen the defence and win the ball back, everything becomes a little more frantic. Full backs hesitate before going forward. Centre backs get dragged into wide areas. The midfielders ahead are forced to defend more than they should.
Why Iraola would want this profile
That problem only grows under Andoni Iraola. His sides press hard, play on the front foot and depend on a compact shape when the ball is lost. That puts an enormous burden on whoever sits at the base of midfield. The job needs good positional sense, an appetite for regaining possession, quick reactions in transition and the calm to move the ball forward cleanly once it has been won.
From what we have seen of Stiller, that description fits him rather neatly. The most eye-catching number is his experience: 328 senior appearances already, at an age when plenty of midfielders are still trying to nail down a regular place. That kind of mileage suggests durability, tactical understanding and a player who would not need a long bedding-in period. For a club looking for immediate improvement, that matters.
Our take on the price and the risk
The figure attached to him is £41.7m, and in today’s market that looks reasonable rather than reckless. Liverpool have spent far more on players with less clearly defined roles. A midfielder entering his peak years, with Bundesliga pedigree and a specialism the squad plainly lacks, would represent sound value if the recruitment department are convinced by him.
There is an obvious temptation to label him the new Fabinho, and we would resist it. Asking any signing to replicate one of the best holding midfielders of the last decade is unfair from day one. What Liverpool need is not a copy but a genuine specialist who makes the players around him better, and that is a more realistic bar for Stiller to clear.
The competition deserves to be taken seriously too. Clubs in Saudi Arabia and MLS can offer wages that European sides struggle to match, and a move to Turkey could bring a guaranteed starting role. If Liverpool want to be in this race, hesitation will not help them.
Worth acting on, not just admiring
We have lost count of the times a sensible midfield target has been described as one to watch, only for nothing to happen. Admiration is cheap. What Liverpool need is a decision. If the club want more control in games, better protection for the back four and a midfield that finally looks settled, Stiller ticks an awful lot of boxes. For once, we would like to see the interest turn into something concrete before somebody else takes the chance.
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