He “fits perfectly into Matthias Jaissle’s requirements profile”: Are VfB Stuttgart set to lose the next star to Newcastle United after Nick Woltemade?
Premier League club Newcastle United are considering a move for Bilal El Khannouss from VfB Stuttgart. This is reported by Footmercato.
The Magpies are still chasing attacking reinforcements in the final stretch of the transfer window. Talks with Lille over a move for top target Matias Fernandez-Pardo have stalled because the two clubs are far apart on the fee, and El Khannouss has now "come into the sights" of the Premier League side.
Newcastle have reportedly been tracking the Morocco World Cup participant for several weeks and believe El Khannouss fits "perfectly into the requirements profile" of new head coach Matthias Jaissle.
Stuttgart know all about late-window attacking sales to Newcastle from the summer of 2025. Back then, Nick Woltemade moved to England for €75 million. El Khannouss arrived a day later on loan from Leicester City as his replacement, then joined permanently at the end of May for €15 million. Newcastle also value the 22-year-old because he has already picked up Premier League experience.
His contract runs until 2030, and he is said to be "not averse" to a return to England. Rumours over a move this season ran throughout the summer. In June, Bild wrote that El Khannouss wanted to use the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico to put himself in the shop window for possible new employers. He also changed his agency.
Shortly after that, kicker reported that El Khannouss was frustrated and impatient because of dwindling game time in Stuttgart. He started last season in Sebastian Hoeneß's regular line-up and was consistently named in the first XI, but his appearances became less frequent and, above all, shorter as the campaign went on.
Following the Africa Cup, which El Khannouss had initially lost with Morocco against Senegal before being declared the winner afterwards by decision off the pitch, Hoeneß often used him only from the bench. The versatile attacker became a part-time key player.
Galatasaray rumour surrounding Bilal El Khannouss
One sticking point is said to have been the lost DFB Cup final against Bayern Munich in May (0-3). El Khannouss came on for Chris Führich only in the 78th minute. Shortly afterwards, Munich scored the potentially decisive second goal, and the substitute could no longer change the game.
Since then, there have been no major transfer updates. Galatasaray, though, are said to have shown interest in him in the meantime.
Across his first season at VfB, El Khannouss made 41 competitive appearances in all competitions, scoring nine goals and supplying seven assists. He played 22 minutes in last weekend's 4-0 DFB Cup win over Hansa Rostock.
