Leeds handed ‘real opportunity to sign Aleksandar Mitrovic’ after Al-Hilal news
Leeds United have been tipped to bring Aleksandar Mitrovic back to the Premier League after developments in the Saudi Pro League.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, former Peacocks and England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said that the stars have aligned for Mitrovic to swap Al-Hilal for Elland Road.
Daniel Farke remains on the hunt for a ready-made Premier League striker as the new season ticks ever closer, with Patrick Bamford surplus to requirements and Mateo Joseph on his way to RCD Mallorca.
Leeds’ long-running pursuit of Rodrigo Muniz is yet to come to fruition, and Robinson has told Football Insider that they should instead turn attention to another player familiar with Fulham’s number nine shirt.
Mitrovic scored 28 goals in 36 appearances for Al-Hilal last season, Robinson has backed the Serbian to leave the club this summer after they agreed a £56.6million deal to sign Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez.
Nunez‘s arrival is expected to see him supersede Mitrovic at Al-Hilal, and Robinson told Football Insider that Leeds could do much worse than signing Mitrovic to score the goals which will keep them in the Premier League.
Darwin Nunez deal opens door for Mitrovic’s Leeds move
This article contains exclusive comment from Paul Robinson, a football pundit and former England, Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds goalkeeper.
Football Insider revealed two months ago that Everton’s interest in a move for Mitrovic would come with huge financial challenges given his position at Al-Hilal, but that’s all set to change with Nunez’s signing.
Speaking on the latest Inside Track podcast, Robinson was asked if a move for Mitrovic was feasible for Farke’s side this summer as their hunt for a proven, Premier League-level centre-forward continues.
“It is now that Nunez has gone to Al-Hilal for £46million”, the ex-Leeds man told Football Insider.
“Mitrovic was the key man, he was the number nine – Mitrovic and Nunez, for me, don’t play together, so if Leeds can get a player like Mitrovic, absolutely there’s a deal there to be done.
“That would be a ‘stand up and take note’ signing for Leeds, and now Nunez has gone to Al-Hilal, there’s a real opportunity that they could bring the striker in.
“Leeds have got a stronger squad going into the Premier League than the other two sides going up with them already, and Mitrovic going into that is the first one you would have signed.
“If they get a player like Mitrovic, you’d stand up and go; ‘he can score the goals to keep us in the Premier League’, and that deal is now doable because Nunes has gone to Al-Hilal.”
Mitrovic move still has huge stumbling block for Leeds
The Whites are fast running out of time to build a Premier League-ready squad just 10 days out from their opener against Everton, and both sides could be thrust into a race to sign Mitrovic this summer.
Al-Hilal can afford to take a hit on the £50million fee they paid for Mitrovic – they released Neymar from his own deal – but that won’t make the 30-year-old’s massive wages any easier for Leeds to afford.
Leeds have shown a reluctance to overpay for players this summer and are currently locked in talks for Leicester City attacker Bilal El-Khannouss, and unless Mitrovic is willing to see his wages take a huge hit, this move could be nothing more than a long-shot.