- Undav about his new partner Demirovic: "Cooler guy"
Football national player Deniz Undav is optimistic that he can also harmonize beautifully with his new striking partner Ermedin Demirovic at VfB Stuttgart. "He's a cool guy, I like him," said the 28-year-old. And he hopes that the interplay with the Stuttgart newcomer will be as successful as it was last season with top scorer Serhou Guirassy.
As the successor to the 28-goal striker Guirassy, who moved to Borussia Dortmund, Demirovic (26) is stepping into huge shoes. "He's a good player, good striker, works relatively hard, and is quite secure in his finishing," Undav described his observations, which he collected as a late substitute in the final test match against Athletic Bilbao.
In the 4-0 win against the weakened and disappointing Spanish cup holders, Demirovic scored his first goal for the Swabians. "He might not have had much luck at the beginning or the right chances, but it comes with time," said Undav.
"Maybe he put a bit of pressure on himself," Undav continued. "I'm trying to take that pressure off him now, so he can play freely like he did in Augsburg, and then he'll score the goals. I'm not worried about that."
Record transfers for the strike force
In any case, the two form the most expensive striking duo that VfB has ever had. According to media reports, the Champions League participant paid FC Augsburg 21 million euros plus bonuses for Demirovic. The buyout sum for Undav is said to total around 30 million euros including bonuses, making him the new VfB record transfer. The bar for the attack will be high after the impressive performances of the past season. Guirassy and Undav together had 61 goal involvements in the Bundesliga.
"It's clear that there is a lot of pressure on Demirovic," said VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß. "Especially at the beginning, he needed a bit of time to get into it. The goal has certainly helped him take the next step, but of course, he can still improve here and there. But that applies to everyone."
It's rather unlikely that Undav and Demirovic will both start in the Supercup clash against champions Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. Undav does not expect to be in the starting lineup after the late transfer saga with Brighton & Hove Albion.
The following is added to the discussion about the new striking duo: Deniz Undav mentioned that Ermedin Demirovic might have put pressure on himself at the beginning of his time at VfB Stuttgart, but he is trying to alleviate that pressure to allow Demirovic to play freely and score goals.
Furthermore, it was stated that the signings of Undav and Demirovic have made VfB Stuttgart's strike force the most expensive in the club's history, with media reports indicating that they paid FC Augsburg 21 million euros plus bonuses for Demirovic and around 30 million euros including bonuses for Undav.
