VfB Stuttgart board member for sport Fabian Wohlgemuth has left it open whether their academy player Dennis Seimen will succeed Alexander Nübel as first choice goalkeeper as early as next season.
Seimen, 20, is playing a strong season on loan at second division Paderborn and kept a clean sheet in Thursday's 0-0 draw at Wolfsburg in the first leg of a Bundesliga play-off tie.
The under-21 international has a bright future but he has never played a Bundesliga match, let alone in the Champions League for which Stuttgart have qualified in fourth place.
“He is a highly talented goalkeeper who has developed at a rapid pace,” Wohlgemuth told the Bild paper.
“He had a fantastic season in the second division with Paderborn. We believe he is capable of playing in the Champions League.”
Seimen's loan spell in Paderborn ends on June 30, and so does that of Nübel, who has been in Stuttgart for three years from parent club Bayern Munich.
The two sides meet in Saturday's German Cup final after which the goalkeeper issue will be dealt with, Wohlgemuth said.
Bayern have no need for Nübel now that Manuel Neuer is staying another season and they have a capable back-up in Jonas Urbig, plus veteran Sven Ulreich.
Wohlgemuth said that Nübel "had fantastic performances over the past years and was a cornerstone of our success." But Stuttgart may not be willing to pay a big transfer fee and salary for Nübel.
