Newly promoted Premier League side Fulham are set to launch an immediate raid for Newcastle United’s powerhouse striker Aleksandar Mitrovic after his World Cup came to an end with Serbia, according to the Times.
The newspaper state that now the 23-year-old’s time in Russia has come to an end, his country exiting the competition at the group stages, the Cottagers are set to push on and try and complete a return for their on-loan talisman, who fired them back to the top flight last season.
He scored 12 goals after joining in January, and his form has reportedly led to Newcastle slapping down a £20million price tag on his head.
Opinion
Mitrovic’s exit seemed an almost certainty prior to the World Cup kicking off, and his performances in Russia will have done him no harm in securing a move away from St James’ Park this summer. He led the line for Serbia as well as he did for Fulham, hassling and harrying the opposition defences with his physicality. His finishing might have left something to be desired, but as proven while at Craven Cottage, he does indeed know where the back of the net is. Will it be Fulham who can secure the return of their figurehead for their Premier League campaign? That £20million price tag should not bother them too much, but with Rafael Benitez knowing that the striker is one of his most saleable assets, could the asking price be raised somewhat after his exploits on the international stage? With two years left on his contract, Newcastle are in no rush to sell up, other than to raise some transfer funds of their own.