Stuttgart find themselves at a crossroads, sitting 15th in the Bundesliga with only three points from four matches and the threat of a significant squad exodus looming over the club. The slow start to the season has raised questions about whether the squad can rediscover the form that made them one of German football's most exciting teams in recent years, and the pressure on coach Sebastian Hoeness is building with each dropped point.

Off the pitch, the situation is equally complicated. As kicker reports, Stuttgart's wage bill has risen from 105 million to 163 million euros over three years, and that financial strain collides directly with the 2028 contract expiries of eight first-team players including Angelo Stiller, Chris Fuehrich, and Ermedin Demirovic. The club cannot afford to extend all of them, meaning a major rebuild looks unavoidable after this season.

Amid that uncertainty, new signing Dzenan Pejcinovic is still finding his feet. The 25 million euro arrival from Wolfsburg scored a hat-trick on his debut in the DFB-Pokal but has gone without a goal in the league since, telling kicker he knows he must raise his level to earn a Germany call-up. Defender Finn Jeltsch offers a rare bright spot, attracting reported interest from Real Madrid after earning his first senior Germany cap, as Spanish outlet AS noted. Stuttgart host Paderborn next, a game that feels like a must-win given their current league position.