A €7 million release clause, a contract running until 2031, and a handful of appearances totalling barely half an hour of Bundesliga action: the early chapters of Jeremy Arevalo's career in Stuttgart have not unfolded as either party envisioned. The 21-year-old Ecuadorian, brought in from Racing Santander during the winter window to address a persistent lack of cutting edge in the final third, has so far remained on the periphery of Sebastian Hoeneß's plans — raising legitimate questions about the timing and fit of the move.

A Signing Born From Accumulated Necessity

Arevalo's arrival did not happen in isolation. It was the product of a drawn-out sequence of setbacks that left VfB exposed in the one area of the field where they could least afford vulnerability. Nick Woltemade's departure for Newcastle United, confirmed for a reported £75 million, was described by Hoeneß as "a bitter loss" — and privately, the broader deficiencies in forward planning had already been acknowledged before that deal was concluded.

The additions of Badredine Bouanani and Bilal El Khannouss, signed in quick succession, addressed width and creativity rather than the pure goalscoring function Woltemade had provided. El Khannouss has since vindicated his inclusion and been signed permanently. Bouanani, however, has struggled to impose himself, and the attempted signing of South Korean forward Hyeon-gyu Oh from KRC Genk collapsed on deadline day when he failed his medical. Against that backdrop, the pursuit of Arevalo was less a calculated first choice than a calculated response to diminishing options.

The Structural Challenge of an Abrupt Transition

What makes Arevalo's early spell instructive is not simply that he has played infrequently — it is the nature of the environment he has entered. The Bundesliga, particularly within a possession-oriented, tactically demanding setup like Hoeneß's, asks specific things of forwards that differ substantially from Spain's second division. The physical intensity, the pressing rhythms, the speed at which decisions must be made under pressure: none of these can be absorbed in training alone. They require competitive minutes, and those have been scarce.

His single Bundesliga contribution — an assist in the draw with FC St. Pauli — came during a 30-minute cameo that represented his most meaningful involvement since joining. An appearance for the reserve side in the 3. Liga against SV Waldhof Mannheim, in which he scored and assisted in a 3-1 victory, offered a reminder of what he can produce when rhythm and confidence align. But reserve football and first-division football are different propositions entirely, and the gap between them is precisely where Arevalo currently resides.

There are mitigating factors in his timeline. During his early weeks, Ermedin Demirović — who had contributed five Bundesliga goals between October and January before injury intervened — was unavailable, and Bilal El Khannouss was on international duty with Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations. That combination of absences opened a window for Arevalo's debut. Once the squad returned to full strength, that window effectively closed. He was omitted from the Europa League squad and left out of four consecutive Bundesliga matchday selections before his cameo against St. Pauli.

Patience as Institutional Policy

What separates Arevalo's situation from a straightforward failed signing — at least in the club's estimation — is the deliberate framing around his development. Sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth has spoken explicitly about long-term potential, and the decision to tie him to a six-year contract reflects a genuine belief that the investment is sound over a longer horizon. Spanish-speaking figures within the dressing room, including Chema Andres, have reportedly been encouraged to assist his cultural acclimatisation — a structured rather than incidental approach to integration.

Hoeneß, for his part, has been candid about the mismatch between expectation and reality without abandoning the player entirely. "Jeremy comes from a different league, a different culture. We had naturally hoped things would go a bit faster. Nevertheless, we knew that such a situation could arise," he noted in February — a statement that reads both as honest assessment and advance justification. Whether that patience extends through the summer, and whether Arevalo receives the sustained run of first-team involvement necessary to prove his worth, remains the central unresolved question.

An Additional Dimension: The World Cup Calculation

Arevalo's circumstances carry weight beyond Stuttgart. As a three-time Ecuador international, he is within reach of a World Cup squad — and Ecuador's group draw places them alongside Germany, meaning club and international paths may briefly intersect. His national setup, under coach Sebastian Beccacece, gave him two late appearances during the most recent international break, a signal that his standing with the national side remains active despite limited club minutes.

For a 21-year-old forward, the coming months represent a pivotal moment in both trajectories. Sustained inactivity at club level will inevitably complicate his international case. Conversely, a strong run of form before the summer break could reframe the Stuttgart narrative entirely. The infrastructure around him — the long-term contract, the institutional patience, the structured support — is more conducive to success than his current playing time suggests. Whether those conditions translate into output is the question only the next few weeks can answer.