El Khannouss earns praise for defensive improvement at Stuttgart

Stuttgart sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth has praised Moroccan midfielder Bilal El Khannouss for his impressive work rate and growing defensive contribution, describing him as an increasingly complete player.

The 21-year-old has enjoyed an impressive spell of form at the German club, combining his attacking qualities with a greater commitment to defensive duties.

Speaking to German newspaper BILD on Monday, Wohlgemuth highlighted El Khannouss’ contributions both on and off the ball, particularly his endurance and ability to win challenges.

“Bilal is always right at the forefront when it comes to endurance running and tackling. He also helps out defensively, sometimes dropping back to track back,” Wohlgemuth said.

El Khannouss was particularly influential in Stuttgart’s 4-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, finishing as the team’s leading player in duels won.

According to BILD, the Moroccan international has made significant progress in his defensive game after Stuttgart’s management expressed concerns about that aspect of his performances early last season.

The midfielder has responded by improving his work without the ball, adding another dimension to his game and strengthening his importance to the team.

His development has also attracted interest from several clubs abroad.

BILD reported that Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad made a €40m offer to Stuttgart last summer and proposed tripling El Khannouss’ wages. However, the midfielder turned down the opportunity.

Turkish giants Galatasaray were also interested in securing his services, with the club’s Director of Development, Fatih Demireli, confirming to Kicker that positive discussions had taken place with the player, his representative and Stuttgart.

However, Galatasaray eventually opted to pursue another target, Aleksey Batrakov, and a move for El Khannouss failed to materialise.

The Moroccan midfielder has maintained his commitment to Stuttgart, having previously explained that he agreed on a two-year development plan with the club when he arrived.

Speaking to BILD, El Khannouss said that although he received other offers, leaving Stuttgart at that stage would not have been the right decision for his career.

He will now be hoping to maintain his impressive performances when Stuttgart travel to face Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday.