Stuttgart will want at least £34m for striker Sasa Kalajdzic if Chelsea make an approach for the Austrian international this summer, according to The Athletic.
The website claim the 6ft 7 forward is an option that the Blues are considering as a potential backup if they don’t sign a higher profile striker before the transfer window closes:
? Haaland and Rice deals stalling
? #CFC may be tempted to sign Ings
? Stuttgart in no rush to sell Kalajdzic https://t.co/KuDfvLi4aT
— The Athletic UK (@TheAthleticUK) July 19, 2021
Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland, Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku and Tottenham’s Harry Kane are all being targeted by Thomas Tuchel’s side but all three deals are said to be fraught with difficulty.
In case none of those transfers materialise, a cheaper alternative will be sought. Kalajdzic is 24 years of age and scored 17 goals in all competitions for Stuttgart last season, so he does have the potential to improve in the future.
The Austrian could also be a decent replacement for Olivier Giroud, who has moved to AC Milan, but there are doubts over whether Chelsea would pay £34m simply to fill a spot on the bench.