“Wasn’t the worst decision” – Director praised for agreeing big deal to sign Brighton player
Former Arsenal midfielder Tomáš Rosický has heaped praised on VfB Stuttgart for buying Deniz Undav from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer window.
The German club initially took the forward on a loan deal from Brighton in August 2023. He impressed for them, scoring 19 goals and registering 10 assists from 33 matches in all competitions.
This convinced Stuttgart to pay a club-record fee of €26m to sign the 28-year-old from Brighton in August, after chasing him for most of the last window.
Rosický spent five years in Germany when he was at Borussia Dortmund between 2001 and 2026. Speaking to Bild, he has expressed his delight with Stuttgart’s development over the last two seasons.
“VfB have undergone an incredible development in the last two years – from relegation to the Champions League. From the outside, that is no coincidence. The team has a clear structure, and in Sebastian Hoeneß a great coach who has put his stamp on the team,” he said.
The former Gunners man finished his playing career with Sparta Prague in 2017. He’s now the sporting director at the Czech club. Rosický has used the Undav deal as an example to praise his Stuttgart counterpart, Fabian Wohlgemuth.
“From experience, it is not enough to just have a top coach, you also need very good management. In Stuttgart, that is the case with sports boss Fabian Wohlgemuth, it fits together very well,” Rosický explained.
“Signing someone like Deniz Undav from Brighton, for example, wasn’t the worst decision. VfB sold well – and bought well.”
Undav’s displays for the Bundesliga side last season helped him make his debut for Germany in March. He was also part of Julian Nagelsmann’s squad at the Euros.
The former Brighton man has managed five goals and an assist from seven games this season.
