Southampton's hopes of signing Sasa Kalajdzic this summer may have been handed a boost after the Austrian striker was left out of the Stuttgart squad this weekend.

What's the word?

Southampton have been heavily linked with the 6 foot 7 forward this summer, as Ralph Hasenhuttl looks to bolster his attacking options at St Mary's.

Wolves have also been touted as a potential destination for the 25-year-old but recent reports have suggested that they are yet to meet the Bundesliga side's asking price.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed the following on Twitter this weekend: "More on Saša Kalajdžić. He asked the club and manager to be excluded by squad for Koln game as expectation is to receive a new bid within 24/48h from Wolves. Been told Wolverhampton are prepared to submit new proposal - price tag around €20/25m."

This suggests that the door is still open for Southampton to make a move for Kalajdzic and considering Hasenhuttl's need for a new striker in his squad, director of football Matt Crocker should work quickly to bring him to St Mary's.

Saints badly need him

While Che Adams has started the season in impressive form, with four goals to his name, he is yet to hit double figures in his Premier League career so he cannot be relied upon to be a regular goalscorer for Southampton.

Adam Armstrong has struggled immensely since his move from Blackburn Rovers, with just two goals in 32 appearances, while it is unclear at this point how much 20-year-old Sekou Mara will add in terms of attacking output.

Therefore, if the Saints are to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle this season, they arguably need a new striker, and Kalajdzic could be an excellent focal point in Hasenhuttl's side.

The Austria international has enjoyed a fruitful spell with Stuttgart, contributing 24 goals and 12 assists in his first 60 appearances for the German side, following his move from Admira.

Kalajdzic managed an impressive 16 goals in the Bundesliga in the 2020/21 season, while he managed six last season despite enduring an injury-hit campaign, so he definitely knows where the back of the net is.

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He could also offer Southampton a serious aerial threat, with Bundesliga journalist Marcel Reif suggesting that he can do "crazy things in the air", which is something the Saints don't currently possess, as Adams won just three of his nine aerial duels in Saturday's defeat against Manchester United.

Combine that with their lack of offensive threat and it's evident they need a clinical centre-forward in their ranks. Saints had a whopping 17 shots against United yesterday but only five of them were on target in what appeared to be a dismal offensive effort from those in the final third.

Therefore, it is clear that Southampton need a different kind of striker and Kaladjzic could be ideal, so Crocker should pay the €25m (£21m) asking price and bring him to St Mary's, as the Austrian clearly wants a move away from Stuttgart.