An Aleksandar Mitrovic move to Fulham is now imminent.
The always reliable George Caulkin who covers Newcastle United for The Times, says that the West London club have moved ‘closer’ to completing the transfer.
Serbia’s early World Cup exit at the first possible opportunity, means that the way is now clear for the deal to happen.
After scoring 12 goals in only 18 starts (plus two appearances off the bench), Aleksandar Mitrovic became a massive favourite with the Fulham fans and the player himself has said he would like to return there on a permanent deal.
With money from a Mitro sale said to be key towards Rafa Benitez ending up with anything like a realistic chance of signing the level of striker he wants, a sale of the Serbian forward can’t come quick enough.
The only obstacle, as usual, could be Mike Ashley.
Rafa Benitez wanted to trade in Mitrovic last summer but the NUFC owner was demanding a very unrealistic £16m+ for a striker who had only had 11 starts and four goals in the Championship.
With that late season form at Fulham, a star rated performance at the World Cup could have seen Mike Ashley imagining all kinds of figures of what to expect the former Anderlecht player to go for.
As it happens, Mitro’s all round play was generally very good in the three group matches in Russia but the stand out stat was only one goal despite 14 shots in the three matches.
I would argue that the World Cup should prove pretty neutral in any valuation of the Newcastle striker.
He showed that he was a decent striker but not one who is a natural goalscorer, that would propel him into a whole other level of prospective buying club and valuation.
With four or five goals in Russia then I would have really feared for an impasse whereby Mike Ashley would make it impossible for trading to be done with some crazy valuation.
However, I think surely Aleksandar Mitrovic has to be seen as worth the same as he was pre-tournament, that much talked about £20m figure being realistic in this current market.
Whilst some fans will still hold out for a change of heart from Rafa Benitez, he clearly doesn’t see Mitrovic as his kind of striker, so the quicker a deal goes through – the better for all parties.