Falk: Club finds replacement for £43m ‘world-class’ distributor Man Utd are ‘serious’ about

However, each of them could command a transfer fee in the region of £100 million, so the club is unlikely to buy more than one in the same transfer campaign.

Therefore, Man Utd Director of Football, Jason Wilcox, and the club’s Head of Recruitment, Christopher Vivell, have been on the lookout for less costly alternatives, and Stiller’s name keeps popping up.

According to trusted German journalist Christian Falk, United had already tried to acquire the 25-year-old’s services last summer, and they could try again this year, as he remains a serious target for the club.

“There is a lot of interest in Stiller from the Premier League; Manchester United are concretely interested,” wrote Falk in his latest column for CF Bayern Insider.

“The Red Devils were there last summer but didn’t clinch a deal because they came too late in the transfer window. But this could be a serious option for them this summer.”

The transfer market expert confirms that Stuttgart have the option to scrap the player’s release clause, but even so, the asking price remains affordable, especially compared to Man Utd’s EPL targets.

“The 25-year-old has a release clause in his contract (€37.5m [£32.6m]), but VfB Stuttgart can buy this option from Stiller (for an amount between €2m-4m). Then, they’d have the idea of selling the midfielder for €50m [£43.5m].

“There are a lot of things that could happen, but I can say that there’s still a chance Stiller would leave Stuttgart in the summer.”

Moreover, Falk revealed that the Bundesliga side is chasing Southampton’s Casper Jander, who could fill in for Stiller, suggesting that the club will entertain offers for the German international.

“He’s one of the important players, and Stuttgart are already scouting a potential replacement in Southampton’s Casper Jander (23). He played before for FC Nürnberg. Now he’s playing for Southampton in the Championship.”

How Stiller compares to Adam Wharton

Stiller was born and raised in Munchen, so he naturally began his career at Bayern Munich. The Bavarian giants then released him in 2021 when he outgrew the youth sector.

The midfielder then rebounded with a spell at Hoffenheim, before earning a move to Stuttgart in 2023. He has now cemented himself as one of the most complete midfielders in the Bundesliga.

The German international is a natural deep-lying playmaker, who has been described as a ‘world-class distributor’ thanks to his ability to pick up his teammates and advance the play.

Therefore, he can be compared to Wharton, who plays a somewhat similar role at Crystal Palace. Nevertheless, Stiller boasts more formidable stats when it comes to passing and carrying the ball forward, while the Englishman is more reliable in the defensive phase.

(Stats via DataMB)

All in all, Stiller’s price tag and technical skills render him an enticing profile for Man Utd. However, the main concern is whether he’s compatible with Kobbie Mainoo, as the two together could make for a relatively light midfield, with neither renowned for carrying the load.