West Ham United were expected to sign Mitrovic from Championship hopefuls Fulham earlier in the transfer window.
David Connolly has been left baffled by West Ham United’s failure to sign Aleksandar Mitrovic from London neighbours Fulham this summer, speaking to the Sun (2 August, Goals Pull-out, page 12).
The Hammers broke their transfer record to bring in Sebastien Haller from Eintracht Frankfurt in July but, for a long time, it looked like Mitrovic instead would be the new, big-money centre-forward at the London Stadium.
According to the Standard, Manuel Pellegrini’s side were keen to sign the firebrand Serbian after Fulham were relegated from the Premier League. Mitrovic shone in a struggling side, scoring 11 times while terrorising defenders with his formidable aerial presence.
But Fulham somehow convinced the former Newcastle United striker to stay at Craven Cottage and signed a new long-term contract, leaving Connolly wondering what might have been.
“The fact that Fulham have managed to keep Mitrovic is massive. He is a Premier League player in every regard,” said the former striker, who scored 14 goals for West Ham in the 2003/04 season.
“I can’t believe that no other club, such as West Ham, signed the striker.”
The retention of the £22 million Mitrovic, plus the additions of Anthony Knockaert and Ivan Cavaleiro, appears to have thrust Fulham into contention for the Championship title.
But, in Haller, West Ham might just have signed the Premier League’s next top class centre-forward. Like Mitrovic, the giant Frenchman is outstanding in the air though he also has a first touch and a penchant for acrobatics that even Dimitar Berbatov would be proud of.
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