Stuttgart demand €60m as Galatasaray pursue Morocco midfielder Bilal El Khannouss

Galatasaray have had an opening bid for Bilal El Khannouss rejected by VfB Stuttgart, with the German club considering an offer worth €22m before bonuses insufficient for the Morocco international.

The Turkish side have made their first move for the 22-year-old midfielder, but Stuttgart are not prepared to sanction his departure for that figure. The development was reported by Foot Mercato.

El Khannouss enjoyed a successful first season in the Bundesliga, strengthening his reputation and significantly increasing his value in the transfer market. Although Stuttgart recognise that losing him would represent a major sporting setback, the club are expected to sell players before the end of the summer.

According to an exclusive report by Africafoot, Stuttgart hope to receive about €60m before agreeing to release El Khannouss. The club’s German hierarchy remain open to a transfer, but only if a proposal meets their particularly high financial expectations.

The negotiations are also complicated by the player’s own position. El Khannouss is not pushing for a move away from Stuttgart this summer and remains comfortable with his current surroundings.

The Morocco international wants to stay at the club, establish himself as a central figure on the pitch and take part in the next edition of the Champions League. His current contract runs until 2030, giving Stuttgart a strong negotiating position as they consider offers from interested clubs.

El Khannouss is valued at €35m and earns an annual salary of €2.83m in Germany, equivalent to 1,839,500,000 FCFA. Stuttgart’s €60m asking price is therefore substantially higher than both his reported market valuation and Galatasaray’s initial proposal.

The player is expected to remain part of Stuttgart’s plans as the new German league season approaches. VfB Stuttgart will begin their Bundesliga campaign against Bayern Munich in their opening-day fixture.

Betting company 1xBet has listed Stuttgart at 8.50 to win that match, with a draw priced at 6.50 and Bayern Munich at 1.25.