After an impressive loan spell and a solid 2026 World Cup, Kalajdzic has deliberately chosen to continue his career in the environment where he most recently rediscovered his best form.
Free transfer – but with a substantial sell-on clause
The deal is also remarkable from a financial perspective for LASK. According to reports in England, no transfer fee will be paid, although Wolverhampton are said to have secured a 50 per cent sell-on clause. Wolves had paid the equivalent of around €18 million to sign Kalajdzic from VfB Stuttgart in 2022. The striker was also among the higher earners in England and has accepted a significant pay cut in order to return to Linz.
Kalajdzic initially joined LASK on loan in September 2025. After his lengthy injury history, the two-metre striker needed several months to regain his rhythm, but improved considerably after the winter break. He finished the season with seven goals and eleven assists in 27 competitive appearances. His presence inside the penalty area was important, but so was his work as a target man and creator. At times, he was even used in the unfamiliar role of attacking midfielder rather than as the central striker, and he became one of the defining figures of LASK’s historic league-and-cup double.
His return to the Austrian national team also came through his performances in Linz. Kalajdzic made three appearances at the 2026 World Cup and scored the celebrated 96th-minute equaliser against Algeria in the final group game, a header that paved Austria’s way into the knockout stage.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be back at LASK! Despite everything we achieved together and everything I’ve been through over the past few years, stability and consistency were decisive factors in my next step. That is exactly what I feel at LASK throughout the club. It was also very important that Didi Kühbauer extended his contract. He knows me and my history extremely well, gave me a lot of time and, above all, trust to help me get back into my rhythm and regain my form. I really appreciate that and I’m determined to build on it and repay that trust,” Kalajdzic said.
Three ACL injuries disrupted his career
Given the course of his career, Kalajdzic’s emphasis on stability is understandable. He moved from Admira to VfB Stuttgart in 2019 for around €2.5 million. He scored 24 goals in 60 competitive appearances for the German club and played his way onto the radar of Premier League teams. His subsequent move to Wolverhampton, however, was overshadowed by a series of serious injuries.
Shortly after joining Stuttgart, Kalajdzic suffered an ACL tear in 2019. Another followed on his Wolves debut against Southampton in 2022, ruling him out for almost an entire season. In February 2024, during a loan spell at Eintracht Frankfurt, he tore his ACL for a third time. Those three major knee injuries repeatedly interrupted his progress.
Champions League football helps seal the decision
That made last season in Upper Austria all the more important. At LASK, Kalajdzic remained fit for a sustained period, accumulated regular minutes and earned his way back into the national team. He will now also get the chance to make his Champions League debut. LASK will face the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool in the league phase.
Sporting director Dino Buric sees that as one of the decisive factors behind the transfer: “Sasa had concrete offers from Serie A and the German Bundesliga. If it had been purely about money, we would not have stood a chance. He made significant financial sacrifices and chose the sporting path – a team he knows, an environment where he rediscovered his old strength and, not least, the Champions League. That decision says a lot about Sasa. And it also says quite a bit about where this club stands today.”
