A former striker has given his opinion on electric Fulham star Aleksandar Mitrovic, backing him to make a big move in the future and explaining why he should snub Manchester United for Chelsea.
In recent years, Mitrovic has developed a reputation for being a deadly Championship striker who cannot compete in the Premier League. In the 2019-20 season, he managed 26 goals in 40 Championship appearances as Fulham gained promotion via the play-offs.
However, the following campaign Mitrovic could only find the back of the net three times in 27 Prem matches. And this is one of several reasons why they were relegated back to the second tier, ultimately finishing in 18th place.
Mitrovic had a record-breaking year in the Championship during 2021-22. He managed an incredible 43 goals in 44 games to help Fulham secure an immediate return to the top flight. This saw the Serbian shatter Ivan Toney’s Championship scoring record for a single season, which sat at 30 goals.
Some rivals made jokes about Mitrovic once again being a flop in the Prem this term. But he has completely turned things around and is actually in the Golden Boot race, even if Erling Haaland will take some catching.
Mitrovic has bagged 11 goals in 15 league matches so far. Only Haaland, Harry Kane and Toney have been more efficient in front of goal in the division.
And now, former Tottenham star Darren Bent has tipped Mitrovic to achieve a big transfer away from Fulham in the near future.
Although, Bent reckons the 28-year-old should stay clear of Man Utd as Erik ten Hag’s playing style would not suit him.
Aleksandar Mitrovic tipped to secure major transfer
“I think he is [ready for a big move],” Bent said during an appearance on talkSPORT. “He scores a lot of goals for Serbia, I think he’s their all-time record goalscorer.
“The only thing about Mitrovic is that if you bring him in, you’re going to have to play in a particular way.
“You have to give him service and get the ball into the box because that’s where he’s at his best.
“He gets across the defender, is really strong in the air, holds up the ball but isn’t the quickest.
“When you talk about putting him in a team like United, they’re a team who play on the break, fast.
“Say you’ve got [Marcus] Rashford and [Alejandro] Garnacho or Antony, they’re not looking to cross the ball. Rashford is looking to cut in off the left flank and bang, get the shot off.
Man Utd would fail to support Mitrovic – pundit
“Mitrovic needs service and I think that the way Manchester United play and break with pace, it might not suit him.
“With the way that Ten Hag plays, are they going to revert to playing a certain way with Mitrovic in? Probably not, but he can play at the top, top level.”
Bent was then asked if Mitrovic would fit in at Chelsea, should he move to Stamford Bridge. And the pundit gave his recommendation for the transfer, saying: “When you look at their wing-backs, the likes of Reece James and Ben Chilwell and the way they fling crosses in, he’d thrive in that system.”
Bent is right about Mitrovic choosing Chelsea over Man Utd. When James and Chilwell are both fit, they put some deadly balls into the box. This kind of delivery could see Mitrovic increase his goal tally.
But at Man Utd, Ten Hag likes to play with wingers who cut inside onto their stronger foot. As Bent says, Mitrovic would soon become frustrated by this style of play.
Chelsea already have Kai Havertz, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Armando Broja and David Datro Fofana in their squad. However, there are a few reasons why Graham Potter could probably still do with adding Mitrovic to his ranks.
Havertz is not really a true striker, while Aubameyang is 33 and looks past his best. Broja would be a true successor for Aubameyang, but he is out for a while after sustaining an ACL injury in December.
Chelsea recently agreed to sign Fofana from Norwegian side Molde. But he is only 20 and lacks experience playing in a big league.
Due to these factors, it might be a good idea if Chelsea bring Mitrovic in. He would be able to lead Potter’s line until Broja returns and Fofana develops.
