Sheffield United should consider Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic as their search for a new striker continues.
The Sheffield Star reports the Blades are in the market for a “proven goalscorer” this summer following their promotion to the Premier League.
Jay Rodriguez is the latest name to be linked with the South Yorkshire club. Apparently Rodriguez has a £5m release clause due to West Bromwich Albion’s failure to get promoted.
However, that would be an initial £5m fee, with a further £5m due in add-ons over the following 12 months. This takes the overall cost to £10m.
Another Sheffield Star report says that Brentford forward Neal Maupay is also on the wish list. Yet Maupay is likely to cost upwards of £20m.
Oli McBurnie of Swansea City is another target – although it is rumoured he will instead reunite with manager Graham Potter at Brighton and Hove Albion.
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Why Sheffield United should consider Mitrovic
Blades boss Chris Wilder appears to be targeting Championship attackers he believes can make the step up to the top flight. Rodriguez scored 22 league goals last season, although has previously featured in 141 Premier League games.
However, Maupay has never played in England’s top tier and McBurnie has made just 16 appearances in the division.
Yet instead of looking to the second tier, perhaps Wilder should go for someone already proving themselves at the top.
Mitrovic scored 11 league goals for a, quite frankly, poor Fulham team in 2018/19. It was a little under a third of their overall tally of 34.
The Serbia international has 21 goals in 77 matches in the Premier League. That is far superior to Rodriguez’s total of 33 in 141 games.
Not only that but at 24-years-old, Mitrovic is five years younger. He is also only two years older than Maupay and one year older than McBurnie – but with significantly more experience.
The one issue might be the price, with the Cottagers signing Mitrovic for £22m (BBC) last summer. They are likely to want to recoup most of that if they are to sell following relegation.