RIYADH — Al-Hilal Football Club has officially announced the signing of Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrović from English club Fulham. The transfer was finalized after arduous negotiations with Fulham's officials, who initially displayed a strong desire to retain their prolific forward. However, the determination of Al-Hilal's negotiators and the player's eagerness to make a move to the Saudi league played crucial roles in sealing the deal in favor of the blue Club. In the past weeks, Serbian striker Mitrović emerged as a choice for Al-Hilal, following negotiations with Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen from Italian club Napoli. However, Napoli's management's refusal to part with their striker shifted the focus to Mitrović, with whom an agreement had already been reached. According to Sky Sports, the transfer fee for Mitrović is reported to be $58 million, securing a contract that spans three seasons with the capital's blue outfit. Mitrović, who will turn 29 in September, showcased his prowess as one of the standout forwards in the English Premier League last season. While with Fulham, he appeared in 24 matches and netted an impressive 14 goals. However, the Serbian striker's historic season came in 2021-2022 when Fulham was in the English Football League Championship. During that period, he featured in 44 matches, scoring 43 goals and contributing 7 assists, totaling a direct involvement in 50 goals across 44 appearances. Mitrović's professional journey began in 2011 with Serbian club Teleoptik, followed by a one-season stint with Partizan in 2012. In 2013, he joined Belgian club Anderlecht before moving to Newcastle United in the English Premier League in 2015. After that, he joined Fulham in 2018, spending six years with the club until the summer of 2023, when Al-Hilal's announcement of his signing was made. Mitrović earned the nickname "The Record Breaker" after leading Fulham to the Championship title in 2022, achieving a record-breaking tally of 43 goals in a single season. It's worth noting that Al-Hilal has been active in the summer transfer window, signing six foreign players before securing Mitrović. Among them are Portuguese midfielder Robin Neves, Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly, Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Italian club Lazio, Brazilian midfielder Malcolm de Oliveira from Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg, global Brazilian star Neymar, and Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
