Angelo Stiller emerges as early midfield target for Liverpool under Arne Slot

Liverpool are lining up their first significant addition of the 2025 summer window under head coach Arne Slot, and Angelo Stiller has surfaced as a priority option. According to Stuttgarter Nachrichten, the Premier League champions are considering a formal move for the 24-year-old midfielder, whose game fits the positional and structural demands of Slot’s system.

Stiller has played a central role for Stuttgart across the 2024–25 campaign, operating as a deep midfielder tasked with controlling tempo and maintaining shape in and out of possession. Stuttgart are expected to seek a fee in the region of €60 million. While significant, the figure remains consistent with what Liverpool have invested in midfielders of similar age and profile, including Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch. Stiller is under contract until 2028, and Stuttgart’s track record of moving key players at peak value makes negotiations this summer plausible.

Midfield restructuring enters its second phase

Szoboszlai, Mac Allister and Gravenberch formed the core of Liverpool’s midfield last season, offering a mix of forward drive, technical range and composure on the ball. But as the fixture list intensified, the trio struggled to maintain defensive compactness across long stretches. As the season wore on, Liverpool’s pressing lost cohesion and transition moments began to expose gaps through central areas. These issues have pushed the club to target a midfielder who can bring order to deeper zones—both in screening the back line and initiating possession from the base. It’s a profile that closely matches Stiller’s role at Stuttgart.

Across 45 matches in all competitions, Stiller played over 3,800 minutes in the 2024–25 season. That includes 31 appearances in the Bundesliga, where he registered 1 goal and 8 assists, and 8 matches in the Champions League, contributing an additional goal. His consistency in maintaining positional discipline, even under physical load, has elevated his profile among clubs seeking tactical balance in high-volume fixtures. Few midfielders in the Bundesliga operated at such intensity while retaining control over central zones for such extended periods.

Tactical compatibility with Slot’s model

After a full season of implementation at Anfield, Slot’s positional play principles now shape Liverpool’s recruitment lens. Fichajes, referencing the original report by Stuttgarter Nachrichten, highlighted Stiller’s composure and control in structured build-up as key factors behind Liverpool’s interest. Slot’s past deployment of Mats Wieffer at Feyenoord offers a tactical parallel: a deep-lying midfielder who connects possession under pressure while managing space during counterpressing phases. Stiller shows similar traits—awareness, timing, and a reluctance to overcomplicate play in congested areas.

Squad management and season demands

With Champions League football returning and domestic fixtures stacking up, Liverpool are building for sustainability as much as impact. Last season highlighted the absence of a true holding midfielder capable of anchoring the structure over a long run of games. Stiller’s ability to deliver high-tempo coverage without sacrificing shape directly addresses that structural gap, making him more than a rotation piece—rather, a core functional presence the system can lean on.

Development track and long-term value

Stiller also fits the mould of a player Liverpool can evolve. At Feyenoord, Slot developed Orkun Kökçü into a reliable system operator through clear tactical scaffolding. The same framework could apply to Stiller, whose decision-making and restraint make him a suitable foundation for Liverpool’s next midfield iteration—one driven less by improvisation and more by structure.