Bundesliga Prospect | Justin Diehl – Stuttgart secure a raw but exciting goalscoring winger
As Stuttgart look to repeat last season’s success after finishing runners-up in the Bundesliga to Bayer Leverkusen, Sebastian Hoeneß and Co. have had to rebuild this summer. After lengthy negotiations with Brighton to secure the signing of Deniz Undav on a permanent basis, Ermedin Demirović also arrives at the club to bolster their attack following the departure of Serhou Guirassy. But while they add vital experience in the final third, it’s the arrival of Justin Diehl that promises to be exciting.
At 19, Diehl arrives on a free transfer after his contract at FC Köln expired. A winger by trade, the German youth international played just 164 minutes across seven Bundesliga games for his former club last season, but showed promise when on the pitch. For a team that finished as the league’s lowest scorers last season, it’s a surprise that Diehl didn’t see more minutes.
Diehl often started on the left-flank, but would drift centrally to support the attacker. That could prove beneficial for Stuttgart, who allow Maximilian Mittelstädt to attack the final third from left-back. During his time at Köln last season, Diehl scored 12 and created nine in 19 games for their second team, who play in the fourth tier of German football.
As a club that allows youngsters to flourish and earn playing time, such as Enzo Millot (21), Leonidas Stergiou (22), Angelo Stiller, Josha Vagnoman, Jamie Leweling and Anthony Rouault (23) last season, Diehl should see substantial minutes, while offering a different dynamic in attack.
A technical dribbler, Diehl also possesses explosive pace and while his decision making in the final third could be improved, Hoeneß should be able to hone in on the youngsters potential.
