Erik ten Hag blamed as ‘top level’ striker is urged to snub Man Utd and join Chelsea instead
Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has been encouraged to reject a move to Manchester United as he would suit their Premier League rivals Chelsea more.
The Serbia international has proven to be a sensational striker in the Championship in recent years for Fulham.
Mitrovic netted 26 times for the Cottagers in 2019/20 and last season he scored 43 goals in 46 appearances.
The forward has often struggled in the Premier League but his form last term has seemingly afforded him the confidence to shine in the top flight.
The 28-year-old has been one of the league’s best strikers this term as he has netted 11 goals in 15 appearances.
Fulham have surpassed expectations this season as they currently sit seventh in the table under Marco Silva. They were pre-season favourites to go down but they have earned 28 points in just 18 games.
Mitrovic’s recent form has naturally fuelled talk that he could move to one of the big Premier League clubs later this year.
Last month, Man Utd were urged to make a move for Mitrovic as they look to identify a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.
But ex-Tottenham striker Darren Bent does not feel that Mitrovic would fit in at Man Utd.
“I think he is [ready for a big move],” Bent said 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.
“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.”
Instead, the pundit has called for Chelsea to make a move for the Premier League attacker.
He added: “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.”