VfB Stuttgart was willing to let Turkish international defensive midfielder Atakan Karazor, 29, leave this summer after he lost his position in the team because of the Prömel deal and also lost the captaincy to Deniz Undav. The Turkish club Samsunspor made a four million euro bid, while the Saudi club Al-Shabab was prepared to pay five million euros for him. In August 2026, Stuttgart's asking price was reportedly between €8 million and €10 million for the player, whose contract is valid until 2028. Despite an opportunity to double his salary, Karazor chose to remain at VfB Stuttgart and rejected the transfer.