Newcastle dud who left for £22m is outscoring Wilson & Isak this season
Newcastle United sold a £22m player who has gone on to score over 100 club goals.
Newcastle United have been unrecognisable ever since the PIF takeover in 2021 which has changed the club’s expectations from being a team scrapping it out in the lower half of the Premier League table to one fighting for top four.
The Magpies have made some astute investments, adding the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak, Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman to the ranks, while appointing Eddie Howe to take the club into its new era has proven to be a wise acquisition.
Remnants of Mike Ashley’s reign at St James’ Park still linger, with players such as Javi Manquillo and Emil Krafth remaining on the books but, for the most part, Howe has managed to turn certain rocks from the previous regime into diamonds, like Joelinton, Miguel Almiron and Fabian Schar.
However, Newcastle are still haunted by certain decisions made during Ashley’s occupancy, namely the sale of Aleksandar Mitrovic who has gone from strength to strength since leaving the North East of England.
Why Newcastle sold Aleksandar Mitrovic
Mitrovic moved to Newcastle for £13m in 2015 off the back of a 20-goal season for Anderlecht in the Belgian Pro League.
Unfortunately, things never quite clicked for the Serbia international in a Newcastle shirt. Mitrovic bagged nine goals in his debut campaign in England’s top flight but managed just five more with the Magpies throughout his two-and-a-half-year stay at the club.
Eventually, a loan move to Fulham, which later turned into a £22m permanent deal, revived his career. At Craven Cottage, the striker scored over 100 goals in double the appearances and enjoyed a recording-breaking season under Marco Silva during Fulham’s 2021/22 Championship title victory by finding the net 43 times in 46 appearances in the second tier.
His sensational goalscoring record two seasons ago even earned praise from former Fulham and Manchester United frontman, Louis Saha, who pigeon-holed Mitrovic as an “old-fashioned” striker and was left wholly impressed by the Serbian’s tally.
Mitrovic’s abilities caught the eye of Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal during the 2023 summer transfer window who submitted a £50m bid for his services, an offer Fulham ‘reluctantly’ accepted.
Newcastle were dealt a blow last Wednesday night during their European bout against Borussia Dortmund as star striker Isak – who has seven goals this term – was replaced early into the game due to a groin injury. Head coach Howe has confirmed the Swede could miss the next four games, including ties against Man United in the Carabao Cup, Arsenal in the Premier League and Dortmund once more in the Champions League.
Callum Wilson has proven to be an excellent back-up option, having scored seven goals in nine league appearances for the Magpies this season but one may still ponder what might have been had Newcastle held on to their struggling Serbian striker.
Mitrovic’s statistics since moving to Saudi Arabia
Since moving to Saudi Arabia, the 29-year-old has continued his fine form, bagging 12 goals in 14 appearances this season. Only five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has found the net more times than Mitrovic.
The ex-Newcastle centre-forward is averaging 4.1 shots per 90 in the Saudi Pro League this term as well as 0.91 goals per 90, as per FotMob, meaning Mitrovic is striking gold at least once every four to five shots.
Furthermore, Mitrovic competes in 7.5 aerial duels per 90, winning 66.7%, and completes ten touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, according to FBref. Wilson, for context, boasts 2.34 aerial duels per 90 with a 36.4% success rate while having 7.02 touches in the opposition’s penalty box per 90.
The Gallowgate End never saw the true potential of Mitrovic at St James’ Park but, now in his peak, the number ‘9’ has become a menace in the penalty area and is finally ‘the diamond’ The Guardian’s Jonathan Wilson tipped him to be over eight years ago.
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