Manchester United will have to shell out a sum of £17 million to sign Sasa Kalajdzic from Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart this summer.
According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United have learnt that it will cost them a transfer fee of around £17 million to sign VfB Stuttgart and Austria centre-forward Sasa Kalajdzic in the ongoing transfer window.
Kalajdzic has established himself as one of the most reliable goalscorers in the German Bundesliga, with a tally of 22 goals and eight assists from 48 matches in the competition. The 25-year-old endured a difficult campaign last time out as he struggled with injury issues but still managed to find the back of the net six times from 15 games.
Kalajdzic’s goalscoring capabilities have helped him attract admirers from several clubs in Europe. German champions Bayer Leverkusen were credited with an interest in the former Admira Wacker striker as a possible replacement for Robert Lewandowski, while many teams in the Premier League are also looking at him, including Manchester United.
Manchester United are in desperate need of a new No. 9 as Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford continues to be uncertain. While the Portuguese maverick returned to pre-season training and participated in the friendly against Rayo Vallecano, it does not guarantee that the 37-year-old will continue at the club.
Furthermore, Manchester United lost Edinson Cavani this summer, and while Anthony Martial’s pre-season form has been impressive, the Frenchman has time and again shown himself to be highly inconsistent. So, if the Red Devils wish to challenge for top honours, it makes sense for them to invest in a new striker.
Red Bull Salzburg’s Benjamin Sesko is on the radars of Manchester United, with the club already initiating talks with his agent over a move. At the same time, the Red Devils are also interested in Kalajdzic and view the 6ft 7in striker as a possible target to strengthen their attacking unit.
As per the report, Kalajdzic is valued at around £17 million by VfB Stuttgart, which makes sense considering that the 25-year-old has just one year left on his contract. While the Austrian has proven his mettle in Germany, there are some doubts over whether he is ready for a big step up to a team of Manchester United’s level.
So, it will be interesting to see whether Erik ten Hag’s side press ahead with their interest in Kalajdzic or make any alternate plans to add more firepower to their frontline.