Sasa Kalajdzic: Man Utd shouldn't let Wolves sign Stuttgart forward

FT Desk

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:46 CDT
• 3 min read

Wolverhampton Wanderers have emerged as frontrunners for Sasa Kalajdzic's signature. Manchester United shouldn't let themselves be beaten to the VfB Stuttgart man.

Stuttgart sporting director Sven Mislintat - the former Arsenal head of recruitment - has confirmed interest in his striker from the Premier League, and Wolves are understood to be readying a €25 million bid.

"Intensive negotiations between Wolves and Stuttgart right now!" tweeted Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg. "Verbal agreement between the player and Wanderers in principle... Wolves want to finalise the deal in the [coming] days."

Wolves are offering the Austria international a five-year contract, and personal terms have already been negotiated. United should step in, and fast.

The Red Devils have shown similar ruthlessness already in the current window - even if some fans have been left underwhelmed by their transfer business - snatching Feyenoord left-back Tyrell Malacia from under Lyon's noses when a deal with the French side was almost done.

Kalajdzic could be just the player United need as Cristiano Ronaldo plots his way out of the club in search of Champions League football this season.

Marcus Rashford got the nod up front for United against Liverpool on Monday night, with Ronaldo benched, but he has long since done his best work from the left wing, while Anthony Martial, who scored three goals in pre-season, is struggling with injury.

Kalajdzic's unique profile

And Kalajdzic has a different profile from them anyway. At 6'7", he is the tallest outfield player in the Bundesliga, and has already drawn what might seem like lazy comparisons with Peter Crouch - the former England striker who scored three career goals against United.

But like Crouch, Kalajdzic progressed through academy football as a midfielder, only getting converted to a striker relatively late in his development.

Accordingly, he has technique and build-up play which bely his hulking size, and he has already proved he can do it in the Bundesliga.

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Last season was an injury-ravaged one for Kalajdzic, but his six goals and two assists still came in at a rate of one every 153 minutes. The previous campaign - injury free - he scored 17 and laid on two more for a goal-involvement every 104 minutes.

United have plenty of mobility in the final third, with Antony's likely €100m acquisition from Ajax complementing tricksters like Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga already on the books. Kalajdzic up front should complete the set.

Letting him go to Wolves would be a mistake.