Chelsea linked 25-year-old forward prefers Manchester United transfer: Reports

Reported Chelsea target Sasa Kalajdzic favors a Manchester United move this summer, as per Sky Sports.

The VfB Stuttgart striker has also piqued interest from the Blues and Everton (via the Daily Mail). The Austria international bears a price tag of £15 million.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is in the market for a forward this summer. Timo Werner has returned to RB Leipzig while Romelu Lukaku has re-joined Inter Milan on loan.

The Blues have been linked with Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (via Fabrizio Romano). However, they are also monitoring Kalajdzic for a potential move this summer.

He has scored 24 goals and provided 10 assists in 58 appearances across all competitions for Stuttgart, having joined the club in 2019. He currently has one year left on his contract with the German club (via Transfermarkt).

Manchester United are also in the market for a forward this summer with questions over Cristiano Ronaldo's future and Anthony Martial's fitness. Edinson Cavani departed the club after the expiration of his contract last month.

However, former Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has warned the Austrian striker against joining the Premier League side. He claimed that the player should remain in Germany for his development. He told Sky Germany (via the Daily Mail):

"It is important that Sasa remains injury-free this season and trains and plays at the highest possible level. If he stays in Stuttgart this season, it will not be detrimental to his development."

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Erik ten Hag blocked by Manchester United board from signing Chelsea forward

Erik ten Hag faces trouble in signing Chelsea forward

According to the Manchester Evening News, Ten Hag has been pushing to reunite with Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech at Old Trafford. However, the hierarchy at United are reluctant to pursue the 29-year-old, blocking any potential move.

The Dutch manager has been largely backed by the English side's board this summer, who bid £7.6 million to sign Marko Arnautovic from Bologna. However, the bid was rejected by the Serie A side.

The Red Devils decided not to pursue the 33-year-old further, having received concerns about the potential transfer from United fans as well as supporters (via Sky Sports).

Ziyech's career at Stamford Bridge has been underwhelming, unlike his stint at Ajax under their former manager Ten Hag. The Moroccan international has scored only 14 goals and 10 assists in 83 appearances across all competitions for the Blues (via Transfermarkt).