Barcelona continue scouting midfielder – Arsenal most likely destination

Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller is one of the emerging names in European football, after a fine campaign, helping his side to second in the Bundesliga and earning himself a place in Germany’s Euro 2024 squad. Stiller performed admirably against Real Madrid earlier this season, and is firmly on the map these days.

The 24-year-old was on the radar of Barcelona before last summer though, and with Hansi Flick arriving in Catalonia, Stiller was reportedly mentioned to Director of Football Deco as a potential option in midfield, with Sergio Busquets absence still causing havoc at the time. Following his performance at the Bernabeu, Los Blancos reportedly took note too, bearing in mind they are looking for a midfielder this summer.

According to Christian Falk on Bayern Insider, Barcelona and Arsenal are two of the major names that are scouting Stiller at this stage. He could well be on his way out this summer, with a €36.5m active from the upcoming transfer window. Falk notes that Barcelona’s financial struggles make a deal with the Catalans unlikely, and that the most likely destination is the Premier League.

Bayern are big fans of his, and a return to the club he came through at has been mooted, but they are reluctant to spend big on a former player. They are also well-covered in his position currently.

Even if Los Blancos are not actively looking at a move, it would perhaps make more sense than Barcelona. With the turnaround of Frenkie de Jong and the development of Marc Casado and Marc Bernal, alongside Gavi and Pedri in midfield, the Blaugrana are well-stocked in Stiller’s position. Real Madrid are in need of a more positional and controlling influence in the middle of the pitch, and have been linked to Rodri Hernandez and Martin Zubimendi in recent months.