Bayern Munich step up efforts to sign young Bundesliga forward
After the recent developments regarding Robert Lewandowski’s future, Bayern Munich officials have stepped up efforts to look at players that can bolster their attack next season. The Polish striker publicly confirmed his wish to leave Die Roten on Saturday.
While Bayern publicly insists that Lewandowski still has a year left on his contract, the reports in Germany suggest that the club officials are looking at various strikers to replace Lewandowski in the long run.
According to Sport1, Bayern has a strong interest in VfB Stuttgart’s Sasa Kalajdzic. The Bavarian club has already initiated contact with the young forward’s representatives to explore a transfer in the summer. The Bavarian club will face competition from Borussia Dortmund for the Austrian striker’s signing.
Meanwhile, The Athletic in England has reported Benfica’s interest in signing Kalajdzic as a replacement for Darwin Nunez. Sport1 has not suggested Kalajdzic as direct Lewandowski’s replacement, but Nagelsmann needs a forward that is good in the air. Kalajdzic fits this profile after having a decent season with a struggling Stuttgart side.
In 15 appearances for Stuttgart this season, Kalajdzic has managed to score six goals and contributed with one assist. He has managed to win a staggering 4.1 aerial duels per game in the Bundesliga this season. The 24-year-old forward is a massive threat on set-pieces. (Stats courtesy: Whoscored)
Kalajdzic will add a new dimension to Bayern’s attack. However, the Austrian forward will be a squad player. Rekordmeister will have to go for another striker if Lewandowski manages to engineer a move away from Bavaria in the next couple of months. He will definitely become a very good option from the bench.
Apart from Kalajdzic, Rekordmeister also held talks with Liverpool’s Sadio Mane. The Senegalese forward is reportedly the top target for Hasan Salihamidzic. Mane is about to enter the final year of his current deal at Liverpool. It will take a significant fee from Die Roten to convince Liverpool to part ways with one of their star forwards.
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Bayern has also been credibly linked to Ajax’s Sebastian Haller. The Ivory Coast striker is also the top transfer target for Borussia Dortmund to replace Erling Haaland. Haller has enjoyed a prolific campaign with Ajax, which has eventually attracted interest from various top clubs across Europe. Salihamidzic will be busy in the coming weeks as the onus is on him to resolve the situation of Lewandowski and strengthen the squad adequately to challenge for all trophies next season.