Angelo Stiller: Man United have perfect midfield “architect” in their sight | OneFootball

Manchester United’s need for new midfielders is hardly one of football’s best kept secrets.

Midfield links

The Red Devils expressed significant interest in Carlos Baleba during the summer and have also been linked to fellow Premier League stars Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson.

United were also linked to a loan move for Connor Gallagher and VfB Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller is also said to be of interest, with a late move in August having been reported on.

The Stiller links have recently resurfaced and there are suggestions that the club would need to pay around €50 million for the midfielder.

Long-term successor to Bruno Fernandes

The Portuguese international has been tasked by Ruben Amorim to play as a central midfielder in this United side, even though he has played most of his career as a number 10.

Amorim’s justification is that Fernandes’ quality on the ball allows the team to control the midfield battle better.

At a quick glimpse, Stiller may not seem a natural Fernandes replacement. The German is not a big goalscorer and rarely gets as close to the goal as United’s captain.

Nonetheless, if Amorim is to continue with the current midfield set up, he would be an elite and affordable option.

Stiller’s playmaking

As previously mentioned, Stiller is not much of a goalscorer. He has just 11 goals in 199 senior appearances.

Although, he is an elite master of controlling the rhythm of a game.

Stiller has been referred to as “one of the best midfielders in the major European Leagues”.

Scouts also note that the 24-year-old German “is a pivot with a lot of category and vision of the game, good at recovery and important in creating offensive plays. In Germany many see characteristics of his game very similar to Toni Kroos.”

Seen as an “architect”, Stiller excels at passing the ball forward to launch attacks, something Fernandes is currently being asked to do.

“Without a doubt, the Munich-born player excels most in passing. Tactically, he positions himself between the two centre backs to improve the fluidity of the play from the base.” His passing accuracy is also incredibly high, averaging over 90% accuracy per match.

Impressive statistics

The German certainly stands out when you compare him to other midfielders under the age of 24 in Europe.

Last season, comparing to him to the top seven leagues in Europe for midfielders under 24, he was first in forward passes, long balls and progressive passes.

Statman Dave has also highlighted his insane on ball abilities by posting on X, “Angelo Stiller played 9.49 progressive passes p90 in the Bundesliga last season, putting him in the top 3% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues.”

Price

At just €50 million, Stiller would be a significantly cheaper option than the likes of Anderson or Wharton.

If United were to sign the German, they would need an elite running midfielder like Baleba and he would certainly eat up a lot of the budget.

Therefore, a pursuit of Stiller would mean a sensible economic choice without skipping on quality.

Ethos

What’s more, Stiller represents the type of signing Ineos want to make.

The club have mentioned many times lately that they want to sign the players who are on the cusp of breaking out to world stardom and the Stuttgart midfielder certainly fits that bill.

Signing the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha who were ready to join a global club from smaller ones has worked out to date, so there is no reason why Stiller couldn’t make the jump.

Suitability

What’s more, Stiller plays in a midfield two for Stuttgart. Unlike Fernandes, he is by definition a defensive midfielder, happy to screen the back four.

The defensive aspect of the game comes naturally to the 24 year old with scouts claiming, “Stiller’s main characteristic is his reading to win ground duels very comfortably and cleanly, he is always at the right moment to cut off a dangerous play and is very reminiscent of N’Golo Kanté in this section.”

He is often perfectly in position to cut out a ball and launch his team forward on the counter with pinpoint long passing.

An appetising thought for United fans with Bryan Mbeumo, Amad, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko to pick out.

Featured image Alexander Hassenstein via Getty Images

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