The 20-year-old defender has made a rapid rise since joining VfB Stuttgart from Nuremberg and has established himself as a regular starter. He has started all six of the club’s matches so far this season and has now earned his first Germany call-up under Jürgen Klopp.
According to Sacha Tavolieri, Jeltsch’s agency is in contact with Barcelona and Inter to discuss potential conditions for a transfer.
A move in January is considered unlikely, however, with Jeltsch reportedly keen to remain at Stuttgart until at least the end of the season.
Interest from both clubs has already been reported elsewhere. Sky Sport says scouts from Barcelona and Inter Milan watched Jeltsch during Stuttgart’s Champions League meeting with Viking Stavanger, underlining the growing attention around the young centre-back.
Stuttgart therefore face the prospect of increased interest in Jeltsch ahead of next summer, although there is currently no indication that an agreement with either club is close.
His development has been rapid enough to take him from Bundesliga prospect to Germany international in a relatively short period. That progress is now attracting attention from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
For Stuttgart, retaining Jeltsch until the end of the season would allow the defender to continue developing while the club compete in the Bundesliga and Champions League.
Any decision on his future is therefore likely to come later rather than during the winter window. With Barcelona and Inter already monitoring the situation, however, Stuttgart can expect Jeltsch’s name to remain prominent in the transfer market.
Stuttgart will nevertheless have a strong incentive to resist any mid-season approach while Jeltsch remains an important part of their plans.
The centre-back’s current trajectory means Stuttgart’s position could become increasingly difficult to maintain if interest from leading European clubs continues to grow over the coming months. His immediate priority, however, is to continue playing regularly in Stuttgart this season.