Sasa Kalajdzic: Bayern Munich to beat Man Utd and Chelsea to Stuttgart striker
Bayern Munich are poised to complete the signing of Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic, FootballTransfers can reveal.
Bayern are one of a number of clubs that have been chasing the Austria international this summer, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham among a sizeable Premier League contingent that has been tracking the progress of the forward, who turns 25 in July.
Although the value of the deal has not been revealed, it is expected that Kalajdzic will move for a fee around the €25 million mark.
He is expected to follow Liverpool attacker Sadio Mane to the club, with the Senegal international forward’s deal to be completed rapidly.
Kalajdzic's Stuttgart record
Kalajdzic is coming off the back of a campaign in which he managed only six Bundesliga goals, but by the same token he featured only on 15 occasions, missing much of the first half of the season with a shoulder problem.
His form late in the campaign proved to be eye-catching, and he finished with five of his goals coming in the last 10 rounds. On the penultimate weekend of the season, he even netted against Bayern.
Although Kalajdzic moved to Stuttgart from Admira Wacker in 2019, his first season at the club was destroyed by a serious knee injury, which prevented him playing a significant role in VfB’s return to the Bundesliga.
Back in the top flight, though, he hit the ground running and scored 16 times in 33 outings in his debut campaign.
Kalajdzic’s imminent move to Bayern raises further questions about Robert Lewandowski’s future, with the Poland international forward closely linked with a transfer to Barcelona. FCB have constantly knocked back claims that they could allow the prolific striker to depart, but with a figure who could be a readymade replacement, the possibility seems greater than ever.