Saša Kalajdžić returns to Bundesliga with Eintracht loan

Kalajdžić made 60 competitive appearances for VfB Stuttgart between 2019 and 2022, producing 24 goals and 12 assists. The 26-year-old centre-forward struck 22 times in 51 Bundesliga appearances in that time, including a career-best 16 for a single campaign in 2020/21.

A recurring cruciate ligament injury restricted Kalajdžić to just one appearance for parent club Wolverhampton last season, but the 6'6" striker delivered when called on during the first half of 2023/24, registering three goals and one asisst across 13 games (three starts), whilst also making a substitute appearance in Austria's 2-0 friendly win over Germany in November.

Kalajdžić could make his Bundesliga debut for Frankfurt as soon as 13 January, when the sixth-placed Eagles travel to RB Leipzig. In contention to represent Austria at the UEFA Euro 2024 finals in Germany, the 19-time senior international will hope to fill the void left by Eintracht's seven-goal top scorer Omar Marmoush, who is currently away on 2023 Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt.

"Sasa has already proven that he can play a very good role in the Bundesliga," said Eintracht sports director Markus Krösche. "His style of play will bring a new component to our game. He is a strong player with good positional and heading skills. We firmly believe that he can help us immediately because of his experience."

Watch: Sasa Kalajdžić's best Bundesliga skills and goals

Prior to his first stint in the Bundesliga, Kalajdžić played in his native Austria, scoring 12 goals in 35 games for Admira Wacker Mödling, as well as a further 13 in 33 outings for the club's reserves.