FC Schalke 04 have identified Sasa Kalajdzic as a potential attacking recruit following their promotion back to the Bundesliga. The 28-year-old Austrian striker, currently on loan at LASK, has emerged as a priority target for the Gelsenkirchen club as they prepare for top-flight football once again.
Schalke's sporting director Frank Baumann is actively exploring fresh attacking options ahead of the new campaign. While the club continues discussions with Edin Dzeko regarding a contract extension beyond June 30, they are pursuing multiple avenues to bolster their forward line. Baumann recently stated: "We can well imagine that Edin could still be an asset to us in the Bundesliga, both on and off the pitch. We are in talks about him possibly extending his contract for another year." The Bosnian forward, who joined from Fiorentina in January, remains central to their plans, yet the interest in Kalajdzic persists independently of those negotiations.
Kalajdzic's Path and Current Standing
Kalajdzic made an impression during the 2021/22 season with VfB Stuttgart, recording 16 goals and six assists in the Bundesliga before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2022. His tenure at Wolves has been complicated by injury setbacks, including two cruciate ligament tears that disrupted his development. This past season on loan at LASK, the Austrian made 17 appearances, contributing one goal and four assists—figures that suggest he is regaining fitness following his recovery.
The complication in Schalke's pursuit lies in Kalajdzic's contractual situation. He remains the property of Wolverhampton and will return to the Premier League club this summer unless a permanent transfer is arranged. Any deal would require negotiations with the English side, adding complexity to Schalke's recruitment strategy. Nevertheless, the German club views the experienced striker as a realistic option to add depth and experience to their attacking department as they challenge for immediate re-establishment in the Bundesliga.
