Would Sasa Kalajdzic be a good Cristiano Ronaldo replacement at Man Utd?
Cameron Smith
- 11 Jul 2022 13:26 CDT
- 4 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo's days as a Manchester United player look numbered following his request to be sold this summer and his absence from pre-season training.
The Portuguese star is yet to appear for training under Erik ten Hag as the Dutchman prepares for the opening Premier League fixture of the season, and has asked the Old Trafford club to respect his wishes and accept any appropriate bids that come in for him this transfer window.
The 37-year-old netted 18 Premier League goals last season, but that wasn't enough to help the Red Devils finish in the top four, meaning Man Utd will play Thursday night football in the Europa League next term.
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Ronaldo has made his intentions to continue playing in the Champions League clear, and as a result his agent Jorge Mendes has begun speaking to clubs around Europe.
With Man Utd not even knowing when Ronaldo will be joining pre-season, and with his whereabouts unknown to the club, it's plausible to imagine he will not feature for the club this season.
Ten Hag reportedly lined up with a 4-3-2-1 formation spear-headed by Anthony Martial during an open training session in Thailand, but the Frenchman was loaned out to Sevilla last season so there's no guarantee he will be the first choice option through the middle.
But, with Ronaldo clearly wanting out, Man Utd may have to start preparing for life without their talisman. Following Edinson Cavani's exit upon the expiration of his contract, Ronaldo and Martial were the only two senior strikers left at Man Utd, meaning the former France international will be the only player in his position left at the club should Ronaldo leave.
As a result, Man Utd have begun shopping for alternatives in a fairly small market. Erling Haaland, Darwin Nunez and Sebastian Haller are all off the market after joining Manchester City, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund respectively, while a player like Robert Lewandowski is unlikely to join a team without Champions League football.
It's been reported that Brian Brobbey is one such option, with Ten Hag keen to be reunited with the youngster, while Stuttgart's Sasa Kalajdzic is another, according to Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg.
The Austrian forward was on both Dortmund and Bayern Munich's radar earlier this summer, but neither German side have snapped him up, leaving the door open for Man Utd to pounce.
Would Kalajdzic be a good Ronaldo replacement?
The first thing to note is that Man Utd would be getting a completely different style of striker to Ronaldo if the Austrian international joins the club.
Kalajdzic is far more involved in build-up than Ronaldo, with his huge physical frame ensuring he's perfect for hold-up play. As a result, he's suit the Premier League to a tee, but he doesn't have the goal-scoring instincts of Ronaldo.
His six Bundesliga goals last campaign came in just 15 appearances, and he scored 16 league goals in just over 2,000 minutes in the season prior, but it's the Bundesliga.
Timo Werner and Kai Havertz were both incredibly prolific in the German top flight, but have struggled to translate that to the Premier League. While an argument can be made that the Chelsea pair thrived on the space in behind in Germany, which doesn't exist in England, Wout Weghorst also failed to adapt with Burnley.
Sure, the Dutchman was in a poor team, but his frame and style of play matches Kalajdzic's, and Weghorst scored just two goals for Burnley after signing in January 2022.
Weghorst was also more deadly than Kalajdzic in the Bundesliga, which doesn't bode well for the Austrian were he to join Man Utd.
Furthermore, he'd be expected to deliver instantly, and going from relegation-threatened Stuttgart to Man Utd's starting striker is a huge leap.
He's a talented player, but if Man Utd are seriously trying to reclaim their place in the Champions League, then signing Kalajdzic may not be the route to go down.
