Mind-Blowing £40m Saudi Arabian Offer Tempts Fulham Boss Marco Silva After Al Hilal Lures Aleksandar Mitrović

Marco Silva has been offered a lucrative two-year contract worth £40m by Saudi Arabian club Al Ahly for the role of manager. The interest shown by another Saudi club, Al Hilal, in Aleksandr Mitrovic has caused tensions between Fulham and their leading scorer from the previous season. As a result, Mitrovic reluctantly joined the team's pre-season trip to the USA.

Al Ahly is currently in a training camp in Austria, eagerly awaiting a prompt response from Riyad Mahrez and Allan Saint-Maximin regarding their potential signings alongside Roberto Firmino.

In London, Silva's agents are engaged in discussions with Saudi officials, presenting an offer through the sovereign wealth fund. With a release clause of £6m and just one year remaining on his contract, the Portuguese player's future hangs in the balance.

Fulham offered Silva a new contract earlier this summer, but currently, it seems unlikely for him to accept the offer. However, Fulham is facing additional issues as Mitrovic has informed his relatives that he has no intention of playing for the club again, following the decision-makers' decision to value him at £52m.

Mitrovic had been contemplating abstaining from joining the club tour of America but was convinced by agent Pini Zahavi and PFA representatives to accompany the squad as they depart for the United States on Thursday.

Nonetheless, sources have revealed that Mitrovic is incensed at being unable to secure a transfer due to the excessive valuation imposed by Al Hilal, despite two unsuccessful offers being made.

Mitrovic's representative has requested Tony Khan to reduce his price range to £35m to £45m. This poses a dilemma for Silva during the team's tour, as he now has an discontented striker in his squad. There are doubts about whether Mitrovic will be willing to participate in the opening game of the Premier League season against Everton on August 12.

Fulham did not comment when contacted by We News.

Serbia international Mitrovic scored 14 league goals last season to help Fulham finish in the top half of the Premier League.

Mitrovic's goals were instrumental in Fulham's promotion to the Premier League from the Championship twice. Initially on loan in February 2018, the forward subsequently signed a permanent deal for approximately £25m later that year.

Al Hilal has emerged as one of the most active Saudi Arabian clubs during this transfer window, securing a significant Premier League acquisition in Ruben Neves. The Portuguese midfielder, who previously served as captain for Wolves, successfully transferred to the Pro League club for a substantial fee of £47m in the early part of this summer.

Al Hilal has secured the signings of Chelsea's Kalidou Koulibaly and Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as well. It is rumored that Milinkovic-Savic, who is Mitrovic's fellow Serbian national team member, is on the verge of agreeing to a contract worth more than £17m annually.

Who plays for who? The stars in Saudi Arabia

: Al Hilal's other notable player is Andre Carillo, a former forward for Sporting Lisbon and Benfica. Carillo, who holds an impressive record of 92 international appearances for Peru, had a loan spell at Watford during the 2017/18 season.

Al Fateh	Cristian Tello
Al Hilal	Matheus Pereira, Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
Al-Ittihad	N'Golo Kante, Karim Benzema, Jota
Al Nassr	Cristiano Ronaldo, Luiz Gustavo, David Ospina, Marcelo Brozovic
Al Shabab	Ever Banega
Al Ahli	Roberto Firmino, Edouard Mendy, Ezgjan Alioski

What is Saudi Arabia's aim for football?

The summer transfer window has witnessed Saudi Arabia making significant signings of renowned footballers from around the globe. However, what is the reason behind this trend and can the financial prowess of the nation pose a potential menace to prominent European clubs?

Cristiano Ronaldo made a move to the Middle Eastern nation on a free transfer in 2023, accompanied by Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema who declined another season at Real Madrid to join him.

Simultaneously, numerous Chelsea players, such as N'Golo Kante and Edouard Mendy, have opted to exchange Stamford Bridge for Saudi Arabia. Additionally, there have been pursuits for Heung-Min Son, Bernardo Silva, and Mitrovic.

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What players are expected to be transferred before the closing of the transfer window on September 1 at 11pm in England and midnight in Scotland?

Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on We' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on We News.