Newcastle keeping tabs on Sasa Kalajdzic

Newcastle United are reportedly contemplating a transfer for Stuttgart striker, Sasa Kalajdzic, with a brand new centre-forward nonetheless excessive on the precedence record for supervisor Eddie Howe.

What’s the phrase?

Based on the Daily Mail, the 25-year-old is alleged to be one of many choices on the Magpies’ record of potential new putting additions, with Benfica ace Goncalo Ramos additionally talked about additionally one other attainable goal.

The report means that the northeast facet are eyeing a ‘winger and a striker’ earlier than the September deadline, with frustration seemingly brewing over their incapacity to get an attacking addition via the door at current.

The St James’ Park outfit received’t be alone of their curiosity within the Austria worldwide, nonetheless, with Manchester United additionally believed to be keen on the 15-cap menace, whereas fellow Premier League facet Southampton are additionally in the running.

Toney various

The addition of the Vienna-born marksman – who may reportedly value within the area of £17m – would add much-needed depth to Howe’s ahead line, with the previous Bournemouth boss at present reliant on the injury-prone Callum Wilson and goal-shy January arrival, Chris Wooden – the latter man netting simply twice following his £25m change from Burnley.

Targets have seemingly not been a difficulty for Kalazjdzic in his profession so far, nonetheless, with the towering, 6 foot 7 colossus having scored 24 targets and supplied 12 assists in simply 56 video games for the Bundesliga outfit, having beforehand registered 24 aim contributions in simply 35 video games at Admira Wacker in his homeland.

Whereas the £22.5m-rated man was blighted by injury and illness all through the 2021/22 marketing campaign, he nonetheless chipped in with six targets and one help in simply 15 outings, having additionally laid on three assists in simply two league video games within the new season.

The 2020/21 season had seen the £6.3k-per-week titan rating 16 targets and lay on 5 assists in what was his debut marketing campaign in Germany, with such kind unsurprisingly catching the eye of these in England.

Of these 16 targets, eight got here from headers, with pundit Marcel Reif beforehand insisting that he can do “crazy things” within the air – with such a declare no actual shock contemplating his imperious measurement and stature.

An imposing focus in main the road, the ahead seemingly shares quite a few statistical and stylistic similarities to that of Brentford man Ivan Toney, as per FBref, with that little doubt piquing the curiosity of these on Tyneside because of the Englishman’s Newcastle connections.

The 26-year-old – who was plucked by the Magpies as a teen again in 2015 – made simply four senior appearances in a disappointing spell on the membership, though has since blossomed right into a massively menacing attacking menace for the Bees, scoring 12 targets and offering 5 assists within the top-flight final time period.

That kind – which additionally noticed him internet 33 targets within the second tier the yr prior – has unsurprisingly seen him linked with a return to St James’ Park this summer season, albeit with a transfer showing unlikely on account of his reported £50m asking value.

Kalajdzic may characterize a much more reasonably priced choice, however one which shares comparable traits, as he notably ranks within the top 6% for aerial duels received amongst these in his place throughout Europe’s prime 5 leagues, with Toney rating within the top 13% for a similar metric.

The pair are additionally artistic forwards moderately than merely simply goalscorers, with the Stuttgart man having an xG assisted (or anticipated assists) of 0.27 per recreation, whereas Toney averages 0.21 per 90, proving themselves as threats within the closing third past simply placing the ball within the internet.

Though there could also be these at Newcastle eager to spare their blushes at having let their former asset depart previously by bringing him again to the membership, they’ve seemingly discovered a really perfect various within the type of Kalajdzic.