According to Bild, the deal for Stuttgart to sign Wolfsburg striker Dženan Pejčinović is still dragging on, with Wolfsburg demanding 25 million euros.

Vollmar Wühlegräber stated: "I can confirm that we are still in negotiations. The negotiations are full of high respect and are pleasant." The Stuttgart sporting director added: "Overall, I have always been optimistic because we still have five weeks to continue talking. But for now, we are still far from a result. This is not pessimism, but reality."

This also confirms Bild's report from last week. No agreement has yet been reached between the two clubs, and contrary to other media reports, there are no signs that the deal is close to completion. The two sides have a large gap in financial expectations. Stuttgart's initial offer of 18 million euros has already been rejected. The Stuttgart supervisory board approved a new offer totaling 22 million euros a week ago, but for Wolfsburg, this is still 3 million euros short. Since Wolfsburg is backed by Volkswagen and is not in a hurry to sell, and Pejčinović himself does not want to leave, the Niedersachsen side can continue to insist on their asking price, forcing Stuttgart to continue to raise their offer.

According to Bild, Pejčinović himself is very keen to transfer to Stuttgart. If the Munich-born striker joins, he will be closer to home and will be able to represent Stuttgart in the Champions League. Despite his desire to transfer, Pejčinović maintains a high level of professionalism at Wolfsburg, giving his all in training. However, the striker was not included in the squad for Wolfsburg's 3-1 pre-season friendly win against Telstar. Many thought Pejčinović was already on his way to Stuttgart, but this was not the case. According to Bild, the player and Wolfsburg mutually agreed not to play Pejčinović to avoid affecting a potential transfer.

AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com