Chelsea and Tottenham rival Borussia Dortmund for dream £6m Erling Haaland transfer alternative

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly among several top-flight clubs in the race to sign Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic this summer. According to Transfermarkt, the two London sides are joined by Manchester United and Leicester City, meanwhile Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are said to have already held talks with the 24-year-old.

Kalajdzic, whose contract at the Mercedes-Benz Arena expires in 2023, featured 15 times for the German side in the Bundesliga this season, directly contributing towards eight goals. His impressive displays steered Stuttgart clear of relegation and he now has a host of leading club’s gunning for his signature.

Dortmund are known to have held a long-standing interest in the striker, with the Serbian heavily linked last summer. According to the Independent, the German giants viewed Kalajdzic as a replacement for Erling Haaland, who has since penned a deal at Manchester City.

West Ham were reportedly one of a few Premier League clubs known to be interested in the striker a year ago, while RB Leipzig were also said to be monitoring the situation. Nonetheless, Kalajdzic, who is valued at £6million by CIES Football Observatory, spoke on his future last month, claiming that he’s open to a move and that nothing is out of the picture.

Speaking to Kicker, the striker said: “There will be no rush job. It’s about finding what’s best for me. Nothing is out of the question, I’m open to everything. I don’t know where the journey is going. There are many things going on in the background.”

However, while a move to Chelsea or Tottenham – among other aforementioned listed clubs – seems to be on the cards, Kalajdzic has spoken on his fondness for Liverpool. But, with Jurgen Klopp signing Darwin Nunez this summer already, a move to Anfield would surely be unlikely.

Speaking to Bild in March 2021, he said: “I feel completely at home at [Stuttgart], but it would be a really tough decision [to join Liverpool] because I really like Liverpool. This club is simply special to me.

“When I was a kid, I saw the Champions League final in 2005 when Liverpool came back from 3-0 down against Milan to win. That gripped me. The last time I went to a Liverpool game with my brother, I really kitted myself out: I bought myself a scarf, jersey, cap and a mug.”