Hardly any other player embodies VfB Stuttgart’s meteoric rise under manager Sebastian Hoeneß – from relegation candidates to a top-flight club – more than Maximilian Mittelstädt. Yet this summer, the success story faces a bittersweet conclusion. At Hertha BSC, there are likely still quite a few people rubbing their eyes in disbelief whenever the name Maximilian Mittelstädt is mentioned. For what is now a laughable sum of €500,000, the Berlin-born player moved from the capital club – which had just been relegated to the 2. Bundesliga – to VfB Stuttgart, who had just avoided relegation via the play-offs, in the summer of 2023, and within a year had become a regular in the German national team.Just a few months before the European Championship on home soil, national team coach Julian Nagelsmann even hailed Mittelstädt, citing his statistics, as “by far the best left-back in the Bundesliga and one of the top four left-backs in the world”. Although Mittelstädt lost his place in the starting line-up during the tournament, the nomination alone marked the high point so far of his previously rather mixed career – topped only by the cup victory the following summer after an eventful season featuring Champions League appearances against giants such as Real Madrid and eventual winners PSG. Mittelstadt’s career is emblematic of Stuttgart’s rise. Coach Sebastian Hoeneß recently highlighted this as well. “He is of immense value to the team – practically ever since I started here at VfB,” said the architect of the club’s success after VfB’s 4-1 victory over Celtic Glasgow in the first leg of the Europa League play-off. Nevertheless, in that crucial clash, he left Mittelstädt on the bench for the full 90 minutes for the first time this season, signalling a minor turning point that had been gathering momentum recently: in important matches, the stalwart of recent years is no longer a guaranteed starter!Admittedly, Hoeneß also emphasised after the Celtic match that the 28-year-old would continue to play “an important role to this day”. In the first leg of the round of 16 against FC Porto, however, rising star Ramon Hendriks was once again given the nod. In Sunday’s 1-0 win over RB Leipzig, the VfB coach – just as he had done in early March against VfL Wolfsburg (the second match without Mittelstadt featuring) – also opted for a back three with Chris Führich on the left flank. Behind them, Hendriks once again put in a rock-solidperformance, swiftly driving the lightning-fast, exceptional talent Yan Diomande to despair. Meanwhile, rumours are circulating that Mittelstadt’s success story at VfB could be coming to a bittersweet end.Mittelstädt is by no means having a bad season, though a slight downward trend is evident when compared to his first two years in the club’s shirt. Ten goal contributions in 39 appearances so far is certainly an impressive tally and has already surpassed his debut season at VfB (seven). However, four of Mittelstädt’s five goals were scored from the penalty spot. Apart from purely attacking duties, Hendriks has, in many respects, outshone him. The 24-year-old not only excels as a better tackler (69.2 per cent) and passer (87.2 per cent), but is also significantly quicker on his feet. Against Leipzig, despite his 1.89-metre (!) height, he once again broke the 35 km/h mark, whilst Mittelstadt’s top speed stands at around 33 km/h. The trained centre-back also excels as a playmaker (three assists), as demonstrated by his exemplary cross for Ermedin Demirovic’s crucial goal that made it 2-1 against 1. FC Köln. That is why, according to reports, those in charge around sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth are scouring the transfer market for alternatives for the left-back position. In this regard, there has recently been frequent speculation about a move for Cercle Brugge’s Nazinho, for whom a transfer fee of around ten million euros would likely be required. Especially as Hendrik’s future also appears to be up in the air. The Dutchman is said to be highly rated by several top clubs. Mittelstädt has reportedly also attracted significant interest. According to reports, SSC Napoli are closely monitoring his situation, as they did last summer, whilst Juventus Turin are another Italian side said to have made an approach. Mittelstädt himself also hinted shortly before Christmas that, despite his contract running until 2028, a change of scenery could be on the cards in the not-too-distant future: “Perhaps it will be possible to take the next step at some point.”A glance at Mittelstädt’s reported market value of €18 million suggests that VfB would stand to make a substantial profit should he be sold. The international, currently in his prime, could, however, be on the verge of signing one last major contract. From a purely financial perspective, a parting of ways in such a scenario would therefore be understandable for both sides. However, an abrupt end to Mittelstadt’s time in Swabia in this manner would also leave a somewhat bitter aftertaste. If Mittelstädt were to leave, VfB would lose not only a fan favourite but also a key player. Even during his time at Hertha, he stood out as someone who spoke his mind. Accordingly, at the end of February, he made it very clear that his goal was to be part of the World Cup squad. National coach Julian Nagelsmann did not select him for the training camp in November. Instead, David Raum and Nathaniel Brown were chosen. “There was a discussion with the national coach at the end of last year. He explained the reasons for my non-selection and told me what I needed to do. That motivated me even more to step up my game. My aim is to prove myself for the World Cup and get back into the national team. To do that, I need to play regularly and put in good performances.”A few weeks later, however, he fell definitively behind in the internal battle with Hendriks at VfB, which is likely to have further diminished his chances of a call-up for the World Cup. In any case, there are currently many indications that a number of Stuttgart players will not be considered by Nagelsmann. All the more reason for efforts within the club and the VfB circle to position the players for Thursday’s upcoming squad announcement for the friendlies at the end of March. Whilst Deniz Undav took the initiative himself with a sensational interview and backed this up perfectly on the pitch, Hoeneß personally put in a good word for Mittelstädt. “I consider him a player who would be very useful at the World Cup,” he said after the Celtic match, emphasising – in contradiction to his actions –: “Julian obviously still has a few more things to consider that I have no insight into. But Maxi has already shown that he can perform at a high level even against very good opponents.” However, Mittelstädt has not been given the chance to prove himself against “very good opponents” since then. Instead, he was in the starting line-up when he faced players from Heidenheim, Mainz and Celtic (the return leg following the 4-1 victory). So Mittelstädt will likely have to settle for the spectator role he is now all too familiar with during the upcoming international break, including, of all places, the home fixture against Ghana in Stuttgart (30 March).Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting