Fulham looking to sign new striker after agreeing to sell Mitrovic to Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal

Updated Aug. 20, 2023 3:09 p.m. ET
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Fulham manager Marco Silva is hoping to sign another striker in the transfer window after the club agreed to sell Aleksandar Mitrovic to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.

Mitrovic was left out of the team for Saturday's 3-0 loss against Brentford in the Premier League, and the club confirmed that the striker will join Al-Hilal for a reported fee of 50 million pounds ($64 million).

Fulham said it had “reluctantly accepted a revised offer as the player had consistently made his desire to leave known."

The deal leaves Fulham short of attacking options despite signing Raul Jimenez from Wolverhampton this offseason. And Silva is worried that time might be running out for the club to bring in reinforcements before the Sept. 1 transfer deadline.

ADVERTISEMENT

“It’s not just about replacing Mitrovic,” Silva said. “We still have four or five players to sign ... the striker position and the striker market is not an easy one, as you know, because many clubs are also looking for the same.

“We have to find the right player to replace him and, if not, we are going to play in the Premier League with the players we have here."

Mitrovic will join former Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly and former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves at Al-Hilal, continuing the exodus of players to the wealthy Saudi Arabian league.

The Serbian striker joined Fulham in 2018 from Newcastle, and scored 111 goals for the club — including 43 league goals in the 2021-22 season to help the team gain promotion from the Championship.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

share