Aleksandar Mitrovic Transfer: Explosive Move to Al Hilal Sealed as Fulham Unveils Record-Breaking Fee

Fulham manager Marco Silva has confirmed that Aleksandar Mitrovic will be traveling to Saudi Arabia to finalize a deal worth over £46m with Al Hilal. As a result, Mitrovic was not included in Fulham's squad for their 3-0 loss to Brentford on Saturday. He has been granted permission to fly for a medical and is expected to sign a three-year contract.

The Serbian footballer has been persistently seeking an exit from Fulham during this summer transfer period. Earlier, he had informed his family members that he would not continue playing for the club.

During the press conference that followed the match, Silva stated, "He was not included in the squad because he had not participated in the team training; he sustained an injury in the previous game."

Regarding his future, he is currently in the process of departing from the club. I received information prior to the match, and now the club has confirmed that he is indeed on his way out. Both clubs have come to an agreement, and now is the opportune time to conclude Mitrovic's presence in our club.

As you may already be aware, he made every effort to leave the club. He strongly desired to depart. We retained him in our football club until we reached a financial agreement. They have now come to a resolution, and it is now our turn to continue playing and working with our team.

Silva responded to the question about whether the process has disrupted Fulham's preparations for the new season by stating that it is not normal and football players should not behave in such a way. He acknowledged that not only Mitrovic's situation, but also their overall pre-season was below expectations in many aspects. He emphasized that they will not use this as an excuse and that the Premier League has already begun. Silva expressed his desire for such disruptions to be avoided in the future.

"He forced it, I think all of you know it, many of you reported that. It's clear what he did and he forced it.

"He knows about my opinion, I told him in private.

Football players are also human individuals. The market situation often occupies their thoughts, as it was not only Mitrovic who faced this in our football club. Although he was in the spotlight, other players were also affected.

I have already conveyed my message to him. We have scheduled discussions for tomorrow and the day after, as our relationship is enduring.

Fulham acquired striker Raul Jimenez in the recent summer transfer, however, Silva acknowledged their intention to find a substitute for Mitrovic. Mitrovic demonstrated his prowess by scoring 14 goals in the league last season, contributing to Fulham's impressive finish in the top half of the Premier League.

Silva, who personally declined a move to Saudi Arabia this summer, commented, "It's not just about replacing Mitrovic. Unfortunately, as the manager, we have the task of signing four or five players within the next 15 days. The striker position and market are quite challenging. Many clubs are vying for the same talent. Nevertheless, we will give our best effort to fulfill this objective."

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"We must identify a suitable player to fill his shoes; otherwise, we will enter the Premier League with the existing players in our squad."

"We are definitely going to invest, without a doubt. However, we won't be putting all our investment in just one player. It's crucial for us to diversify our investments. As for finding the right replacement, it's uncertain due to the challenging nature of the market."

"Mitrovic became a part of Fulham initially through a loan deal in February 2018. Eventually, he signed a permanent contract for approximately £25m later that same year."

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