Manchester United may have been put on red alert after Sven Mislintat made a fresh admission regarding sought-after striker Sasa Kalajdzic.
Mislintat served as the head of recruitment at Arsenal between December 2017 and February 2019 before returning to his native Germany to become Stuttgart's sporting director. This means he will have a say regarding the future of one of Germany's most in-demand prospects, namely Kalajdzic, this summer.
The 13-cap Austria international has emerged on the radar of many clubs across Europe after a brilliant second half of the season with the Bundesliga side. Kalajdzic returned after a long spell on the sidelines with a shoulder injury in January to grab six goals and two assists in the back end of the campaign.
These included goals in the final two games of the season - one of which came in a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich - to help Stuttgart narrowly avoid relegation from the top flight. Kalajdzic's heroics came on the back of a 17-goal 2020/21 season, so it is no surprise he is linked with a move away ahead of the summer transfer window.
United are believed to view the 24-year-old as a bargain alternative to Benfica frontman Darwin Nunez, who has a price tag of at least £50million. A fee of €25million (£21m) could be enough to prise Kalajdzic away from the Mercedes-Benz Arena, representing a considerable saving.
In a further boost for United and other clubs targeting the player, Mislintat delivered a frank update admitting it is "not very likely" he will be pulling on a Stuttgart shirt next season. "As things stand, we have to generate another significant transfer surplus in this summer of transfers," he told German outlet BILD .
Do Manchester United need to sign a new striker this summer? Have your say in the comments!
"So, nothing other than the renewed objective of staying in the league is realistic for me. Especially if you take into account the quality of the already determined promoted teams. It would be outstanding if we can keep Sasa as a player and guy in our team. However, in my estimation, this is not very likely."
United are linked with signing a forward this summer as they aim to replace Edinson Cavani, who will depart at the expiry of his contract in June. There is also uncertainty surrounding the futures of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, who were once viewed as the future of the Red Devils attack but have failed to make the grade at Old Trafford this season.
