Summarize this content in well-structured paragraphs in German language and keep HTML tags After a standout season with Stuttgart, Deniz Undav was signed to a permanent deal by the Bundesliga … More side. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)Getty Images
Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart has finally signed a permanent deal with star striker Deniz Undav from Brighton. According to a report by Tansfermarkt, it is a record deal for the Swabians. Stuttgart paid an initial €26.7 million ($29.2 million) to Brighton, plus add-ons that could see the deal grow to €30 million ($32.8 million). The 28-year-old forward has signed a three-year contract with the club.
“After long and demanding negotiations, we’ve come up with a contract that enables us to plan with Deniz for the long term,” board member for sport at VfB Stuttgart Fabian Wolgemuth said in a club statement. “The transfer is at another level in economic terms for us, but we’re investing in proven quality. We’re happy to have finalized the deal and look forward to our future with Deniz.”
Stuttgart originally had signed Undav on loan one season ago. The 28-year-old then scored 18 goals and ten assists in 30 league games. Undav was a big part of the Stuttgart side that finished second behind champions Leverkusen, and his goalscoring record earned him a spot in Germany’s Euro 2024 squad.
Undav’s breakout season, however, wasn’t lost on Brighton either. Stuttgart had a clause to make Undav’s transfer permanent to €25 million ($27.3 million). But Brighton also had included a buy-back clause that would allow the Premier League club to match the fee and bring Undav back to England.
The strong season in Stuttgart and Undav’s exploits with the national team has meant that the forward’s market value has exploded to €25 million ($27.3 million). This trend was likely to continue upwards as Undav is going to be a big part of Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany squad going forward.
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Brighton also signed new German manager Fabian Hürzeler this summer from 2. Bundesliga side St. Pauli. Hürzeler will have paid close attention to Undav’s record in Germany, realizing that the striker could be a perfect fit for his Brighton side.
Deniz Undav was part of a Germany side that impressed at Euro 2024.(Photo by Marvin Ibo Guengoer – … More GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)Getty Images
With that in mind, Brighton decided to play poker. The club believed Undav would significantly increase his market value in the coming season and that an even bigger transfer fee could be achieved next summer. But there was one problem: Undav had zero desire to return to England.
“Nothing came from Brighton for a year,” Undav said in an interview with Agit Kabayel on YouTube. “I never really received appreciation over the year I was away from Brighton, nor did anyone care about me.”
Indeed, Undav was always clear about his desire to stay in Stuttgart and play Champions League football with the Bundesliga club. “My wish was always to stay with VfB,” Undav said in a club statement. “It’s a great feeling now that the wait is over, and I’m back here.”
Stuttgart, too, was pleased that the negotiations had finally come to a positive conclusion. “Deniz did an exceptional job in his first year in Stuttgart,” said Wohlgemuth. “Deniz is an inspiring guy who plays an important role in the group’s social fabric, quickly making him a popular player here on and off the pitch.”
The transfer is indeed a milestone for Stuttgart. After losing Serhou Guirassy as well as Waldemar Anton to Dortmund and Hiroki Ito to Bayern Munich, Stuttgart finally stopped the bleeding when Christian Führich committed to the club earlier this summer.
Now Undav is also back and although Stuttgart will likely face a tougher season than last year, there is now a good chance the club can stabilize itself in the top half of the table.
