Hleb open to Stuttgart stay

Hleb: Top target

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• Barcelona
• VfB Stuttgart

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• Alexander Hleb

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Alexander Hleb has admitted he would be prepared to join Stuttgart on a permanent basis.

The Belarus international has recently joined the Bundesliga outfit on a season-long loan deal from Barcelona.

The 28-year-old playmaker is taking in a second spell at the Mercedes Benz Arena, having enjoyed a productive five-year stint with the club prior to his 2005 switch to Arsenal.

He admits he is delighted to be back in familiar surroundings and has refused to rule out the possibility of prolonging his stay next summer.

"I am very happy to have returned to Stuttgart," Hleb told Stuttgarter Zeitung.

"I want to help this club to be successful and I hope to win trophies here.

"I'm just focused on the one year for now, but maybe I will stay longer. Who knows?"

World class

Stuttgart general manager Horst Heldt is also keen to strike a deal with Barca in the future which will allow the club to retain the services of Hleb.

"We have brought him back home and he is a world-class midfielder," he told Rhein-Neckar Zeitung.

"In the last three months we have tried very hard to lure him back to our club and I am delighted we have succeeded.

"(Coach) Markus Babbel and I are willing to give Alex all the time he needs to find his feet at the club, as he is lacking in match fitness at the moment.

"We all know the ability he has and he was our top target this summer.

"If we are able to, we would like to sign him permanently after the loan deal expires."