Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly identified Stuttgart forward Sasa Kalajdzic as a potential summer signing.
The Premier League outfit have been conducting some of the biggest deals in their history of late with Goncalo Guedes and Matheus Nunes arriving from Valencia and Sporting Lisbon respectively.
In terms of outgoings, Wolves have offset some of that financial outlay with the sale of Morgan Gibbs-White to Nottingham Forest for a fee which could eventually reach £42.5m.
However, head coach Bruno Lage has openly stated that he still wants to sign another forward to provide direct competition to Raul Jimenez.
According to The Athletic, that has led to the West Midlands side making an attempt to win the race for Kalajdzic before the start of September.
© Reuters
The Austria international has enhanced his reputation over the past two seasons, contributing 22 goals and 11 assists from 51 appearances in the Bundesliga.
With less than 12 months remaining on his contract, the 6ft 7in frontman has naturally been attracting attention from all over Europe during the current transfer window.
Manchester United and Bayern Munich have both been credited with an interest in the 25-year-old in recent months, while others are also taking stock of the situation.
While it has been previously claimed that Kalajdzic would be open to a transfer to Old Trafford, former interim boss and current national team head coach Ralf Rangnick advised his striker to reject any move to United or any other club.
© Reuters
Speaking to Sky Deutschland, Rangnick said: "It is important that Sasa remains injury-free this season and trains and plays at the highest possible level. If he stays in Stuttgart this season it won't be detrimental to his development."
As it stands, Kalajdzic has enjoyed a productive start to the season, contributing three assists in as many appearances for his current team.
The report adds that Stuttgart are ready to demand £21.2m for their key man, a higher valuation than Wolves were said to be expecting for a player whose contract expires in 2023.
A further report from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano suggests that Wolves are ready to hand Kalajdzic a five-year contract and no issues are expected to arise when it comes to agreeing personal terms.
Darren Plant
