Real Madrid News
The major problem Real Madrid are facing in signing Angelo Stiller from Stuttgart
It is no secret that Real Madrid remain very interested in signing Angelo Stiller from Stuttgart.
The 24-year-old midfielder is seen as one of the few genuine pivots available on the market, exactly the profile Los Blancos need in the post-Toni Kroos era.
However, the Spanish giants now face an unexpected obstacle in their pursuit of the German.
Stiller has grown in value over the last season, with his performances in the Bundesliga catching the eye of several top clubs and Xabi Alonso’s influence in the scouting process has played a key role in pushing Stiller’s name to the top of Madrid’s shortlist.
The former Bayern Munich man fits perfectly into the mould that Real Madrid are targeting, which is a calm organiser who can sit deep and control the pace of the game.
Stuttgart’s legal advantage could delay the move
As reported by SPORT, it has come to light that despite Real Madrid’s strong interest, the transfer won’t be as straightforward as it first seemed.
Although Stiller has a release clause worth €36.5 million, that clause only becomes active in 2026.
Until then, Stuttgart can block any approach by paying just €2 million directly to the player, cancelling the clause entirely and forcing interested clubs to negotiate a fresh fee.
This gives Stuttgart a major advantage, especially if multiple clubs enter the race. Liverpool, Ajax, and West Ham have also shown interest in the midfielder, and the German club is reportedly happy to trigger a bidding war.
Stuttgart in no rush
With Stiller’s contract running until 2028, Stuttgart are in no rush to sell unless their financial demands are fully met.
Even though Stiller is reportedly eager to join Real Madrid, that may not be enough to complete the move.
The club must now act carefully, as they want to avoid an inflated bidding process. This is why having the player’s full commitment could be their best weapon to gain an edge in the negotiations.
Kylian Mbappe’s blistering start to the season has already hit its first bump, with the Real Madrid forward’s missed penalty against Real Betis exposing an area of his game that has historically been less reliable.
Mbappe had given Madrid fans plenty of reasons for optimism in the opening weeks.
He scored a hat-trick against Real Sociedad before finding the net again against Malaga, making it four goals across his first three matches of the season.
The performance against Betis, though, was a different story.
Mbappe struggled to make the same impact and then missed an injury-time penalty, with Alvaro Valles making the save as Madrid eventually suffered a 0-1 defeat.
Mbappe’s penalty numbers make uncomfortable reading
Mbappe’s latest miss adds to a record that is far from elite when compared with some of Real Madrid’s previous specialists.
Including the Betis penalty, Mbappe has now missed 16 of the 81 penalties he has taken during his career, excluding shoot-outs. That represents a failure rate of 19.7%.
His numbers with Real Madrid are even less convincing, having converted 19 of 24 penalties for the club, meaning his miss rate stands at 20.8%, effectively one missed penalty in every five attempts.
Mbappe’s record compared with Madrid legends
The comparison with Real Madrid’s previous penalty takers provides better context.
Cristiano Ronaldo missed only 13 of his 92 penalties, giving him a miss rate of 14.1%. Sergio Ramos was considerably more dependable, missing just one of his 23 attempts, which is a rate of 4.3%.
All three sets of figures exclude penalty shoot-outs, making the comparison more relevant to normal match situations.
Mbappe therefore has work to do if he is to reach the level of reliability expected from a team’s primary penalty taker.
Sure, his overall goalscoring numbers remain outstanding, but penalties are an important part of that production.
Mourinho should keep faith with Mbappe
Meanwhile, there is little reason for Jose Mourinho or the Real Madrid dressing room to lose confidence in Mbappe because of one miss on matchday four.
His opening performances, particularly the hat-trick against Real Sociedad, provide ample evidence of his quality, and the greater concern may be psychological rather than tactical.
Mbappe’s confidence from the spot will be worth watching, especially because of what he is chasing this season.
The Ballon d’Or, Pichichi and Golden Boot are all among his ambitions, and penalties offer a valuable route towards the goals required for those prizes.
