David Moyes has worked wonders at West Ham United this season. The Hammers are currently sitting fifth in the Premier League and will no doubt have eyes on playing European football next term.

What’s more West Ham have managed to succeed this term even though they’ve little strength in depth in the forward line.

You have got to imagine that Moyes will want to recruit a recognised striker this summer, as well as trying to tie Jesse Lingard down to a permanent deal.

Back in early December 2020, I stated that West Ham Utd would be a perfect destination for Lingard and boy did I get that one right as the attacking midfielder has managed to produce some superb performances, recently winning his place back in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

That got me thinking about who The Hammers could go for to strengthen their options up-front.

One name that I believe would excite West Ham fans would be VFB Stuttgart frontman Saša Kalajdžić.

The Austrian international has enjoyed his debut year in the Bundesliga. He has bagged thirteen goals in twenty-four appearances for his side.

Kalajdžić stands at over 6ft5 tall and he has been compared to former England hitman Peter Crouch due to his stature (Bundesliga.com).

Obviously given his height, you’d expect him to be dangerous in the air and while that’s true and he can grab goals with his head, that’s not the be all and end all to his game.

The lanky hitman is also very dangerous when the ball lands at his feet. He is skilful enough to beat challengers and keep hold of the ball. The twenty-three year old can drop deep and link-up play and build attacks.

The Austrian doesn’t seem to get easily flustered and that’s also evident when he gets into the opposition’s penalty area.

Kalajdžić’s impressive performances at Stuttgart have earned him call-ups for his national team. His international manager Franco Foda and he clearly likes what he has seen of the frontman:

“I’ve been thinking about him for a long time, but then he was unlucky with an injury,”

“Most recently he showed what quality he has at VfB Stuttgart.”

Franco Foda Via Archyde

West Ham enjoyed fellow Austrian Marko Arnautovic leading the line a few years back. I think Saša shares a lot of attributes with his countryman but importantly I believe he has the potential to be a better all-round forward, especially when it comes to hitting the back of the net.

According to Goal.com the striker has issued a come and get me plea to Liverpool. That shows confidence and I’m sure big European sides will be monitoring his situation but his next step could be better served by joining someone like West Ham, who are progressing in the right direction, and continue to play regularly in a different league.

I think Saša Kalajdžić has the potential to become a top class striker. West Ham United need to bring in a new focal point to their attack and should definitely be scouring Europe for a hitman with such potential!

Posted on March 23rd, 2021 by scott
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