Report: Hasan Salihamidzic to meet with VfB Stuttgart’s Sasa Kalajdžić’s representatives to talk potential Bayern Munich transfer

Robert Lewandowski has made it clear that he does not want to sign a contract extension at Bayern Munich, but it still remains unclear at this juncture whether or not he will leave this summer or stay and honor the final year of his contract. Bayern’s front office has insisted that the latter will be the case, but it is still unclear whether or not he would push for a move to Barcelona this summer. If he were to stay next season, he could leave on a free transfer once his contract technically expires in the summer.

There has been a laundry list of names linked with Bayern to replace Lewandowski, but one name seems to be picking up steam recently. VfB Stuttgart’s Sasa Kalajdžić has been linked with a potential move to Bayern and, per a new report from Tz (via FCBInside), both Hasan Salihamidzic and Marco Neppe are set to meet with the Austrian’s representatives to discuss a potential transfer to Bayern.

Much like Lewandowski, Kalajdžić’s contract at Stuttgart expires next summer, so he’s at a point where he is certainly considering a move elsewhere, especially after such a strong season. After a long spell on the sidelines this season due to a shoulder injury, Kalajdžić was able to tally 6 goals and 2 assists from a total of 15 appearances across all competitions, the most recent contribution of which was a goal in Stuttgart’s 2-1 win over FC Koln that guaranteed their Bundesliga survival.

Internally, Julian Nagelsmann has already given Bayern’s front office the green light to pursue a Kalajdžić transfer as he’s a player that Nagelsmann genuinely rates. Despite this, there have yet to have been any talks between both parties up until the expected liaison at some point this week.

Bayern will face competition for the striker. Other clubs across Europe are interested in acquiring his services. SL Benfica, Newcastle United, and Paris Saint-Germain are all also said to be interested in the Austrian striker. Additionally, Bayern will have to negotiate with Stuttgart sporting director Sven Mislintat, who has previously said that there has not yet been a call from Bayern. It is also Stuttgart’s aim, as Mislintat has stated, to get the striker to agree to a contract extension. “If he comes (forward to ask for a transfer) then, I’ll decide whether to accept or not. Sasa still has a year left on his contract and we are also talking to him about an extension,” he explained.

For Stuttgart, they really can’t afford to let Kalajdžić go on a free transfer next summer like Bayern can do with Lewandowski. They financially cannot afford it and would need to rely on revenue generation from sales to be able to reinvest into their squad.