Latest reports confirm that Aleksandar Mitrović has officially asked Newcastle United for a transfer away to Fulham. The Serbian forward no longer wishes to put on the black and white colours and wants to make his switch to Craven Cottage on a permanent basis. Rafael Benitez has seemingly agreed to the sale while putting up a £30m asking price.
In the present market, the 23-year-old might just be worth the lofty sum, especially after his performances for the Lillywhites last term but Fulham are not willing to go beyond £20m. They have already spent big to acquire Maxime Le Marchand and Jean Michael Seri earlier this summer. Adding more quality options is the best way to take up the Premier League challenge next term but dishing out for another big-money move might not be optimal right now.
Mitrovic arrived at Craven Cottage in January and immediately started firing on all cylinders. He racked up 12 goals in 17 Championship appearances to help Fulham gain promotion to the English top-flight.
It was refreshing to see the 23-year-old find his shooting boots and finally be able to prove his doubters wrong, including Benitez himself. Slavisa Jokanovic has managed to extract the best out of the centre-forward and is eager to sign him for the immediate future.
Newcastle miraculously climbed their way up to the 10th spot of the Premier League table after spending the majority of the season near the relegation scraps. Despite Dwight Gayle’s shoddy form in front of goal, the former Chelsea manager implemented a strategic masterstroke to win against some of the best teams in the entire league.
Benitez also understands that maybe a similar result cannot be achieved in the coming season if he fails to make additions to the current squad. With Mike Ashley yet to meet his budgetary demands, maybe Mitrovic’s sale will give the manager enough leverage to go after quality players.
The 23-year-old probably can be ruled out as a bust at Tyneside but is a potential star in London. His brilliant run of form even earned him a starting spot for his country in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
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If he is openly unhappy to play for the Magpies, maybe it is time for Benitez to start lowering his asking fee and to take the best offer available. In the current situation, it can be considered to be the best possible decision for all the parties involved.
