Aleksandar Mitrović, the Serbian international striker,
has completed his move from Fulham to Al Hilal, the Saudi Arabian club announced on Sunday. The transfer fee is reported to be €52.60million,
making it a club-record deal for both sides.
Mitrović's Career
Since joining Fulham in January 2018, Mitrović has been one of the most prolific goal scorers in English football. By scoring 43 goals in the 2021/22 Championship season, he set a new record for most goals in a 46-game English league season, and he helped Fulham win two promotions to the Premier League. In addition, he tied a club record for most goals scored in a season. He was spectacular last year, as well, with 15 goals in just 24 games.
[caption id="attachment_8383" align="aligncenter" width="554"]
Aleksandar Mitrovic. | Credit: Premier League. | Source: Google[/caption]
But things went south between Mitrović and Fulham after manager Marco Silva benched him for the season opener against Everton in the 2023–24 Premier League. Because of his dissatisfaction with his position, he considered quitting the club. Several European clubs, such as Roma, Sevilla, and West Ham, had shown interest in him, but none could match Fulham's offer.
Mitrović to Al Hilal
Conversely, Al Hilal was insistent on signing Mitrović as they sought to strengthen their lineup with proven performers. Last week, the Riyadh-based club, owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), reportedly paid €90 million to sign Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain.
With 18 national championships and 3 Asian Champions League wins, Al Hilal is the most successful Saudi Arabian club.
The Riyadh-based club has
signed several high-profile players, including Neymar from PSG, Kalidou Koulibaly from Chelsea, Sergei Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio, and
Neymar's compatriot Malcom, who scored a triple trick in the opening 3-1 league win against Abha.
Mitrović signed a three-year contract with Al Hilal, keeping him in the Middle East until 2026. On Sunday, he joined his new team in Saudi Arabia after passing a medical exam in Paris the previous day.
Mitrović's Gratitude
In a video statement shared on Al Hilal's X page, Mitrović expressed his delight and appreciation at joining the club. He said:
“Hello everyone, I’m very happy and proud to be part of this big club. I want to thank the president, the board, the coach and all the fans for making this happen. I can’t wait to start playing and scoring goals for you. I hope we can achieve great things together.”
In a statement posted to their website, Fulham also announced Mitrović's departure. They lauded his efforts and expressed gratitude for his assistance. Even though Silva, Fulham's Coach had previously expressed his desire to keep Mitrović at Fulham, he now recognizes that his time with the club has come to an end. As he put it:
“He was a very important player for us, but he made his desire to leave clear. We had to respect his decision and accept the offer from Al Hilal. We wish him good luck and success in his new challenge.”
Mitrović's move to Al Hilal is a massive deal in the Saudi Pro League, especially for Al Hilal. He will also get to share the field with Neymar, arguably the one of the finest players in the world. However, regardless of how well he does in Saudi Arabia, he will always be known as a record-breaking striker for Fulham, and that much is clear.
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