Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso gave away next to nothing on his return to the club on Monday when it came to his plans for the side, or the signings he was keen to make. However one of the key priorities for Los Blancos this summer is a controlling presence in midfield, with the absence of Toni Kroos still being felt.
The exit of Luka Modric will weaken Alonso’s options still further, albeit he does still have Aurelien Tchouameni, Dani Ceballos, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde at his disposal. Yet Ceballos is the only one who tends to base their game on directing the game. Hence the midfield will be the next item on the agenda after their defensive reinforcements are wrapped up.
One of a number of names that has been linked to Los Blancos is Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller, who has been a standout in the Bundesliga in recent seasons. He also impressed at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League this season, and Marca say Real Madrid are weighing up a move for him.
They feel he has the work-rate and quality required from their summer signings, rather than providing star power. Stiller also comes recommended by Toni Kroos, which is no small reference for an employer.
Los Blancos are also weighing up whether to exercise an €8m buyback option on Como’s Nico Paz ahead of the Club World Cup. Paz has had an impressive debut season in Serie A, but the same outlet explain that this move has little impact on Real Madrid’s pursuit of Stiller, or a similar profile.
After winning the DFB Pokal, Stuttgart were celebrating in the streets, and Stiller was seen in the back of a convertible with teammates Deniz Undav and Atakan Karazor. They were asked if they would be at the club next season, and Undav confirmed he and Karazor would be but ‘him maybe not’, referring to Stiller. This was then followed up a shout of ‘Hala Madrid’.
Fan del Stuttgart: “El año que viene vais a estar todavía con nosotros, ¿queda claro?”
Undav: “Nosotros (Karazor y él) sí, él (Stiller) no sé… Hala Madrid”
O han hablado del interés del Real Madrid en el vestuario, o a Undav le gusta entrar en Twitter.
— Andrés Weiss (@andresweiss_) May 26, 2025
