RSC Anderlecht have denied reports that they have reached an agreement with Newcastle United for Aleksandar Mitrovic.
According to reports in Italy today, Newcastle had agreed a £15million fee with Anderlecht for the transfer of their top scorer but, Anderlecht boss Herman van Holsbeeck has since denied these claims.
A player linked with a move to England for the past two seasons, Mitrovic is highly regarded as one of the hottest prospect in Europe. Albeit in Jupiler Pro League, the 20-year-old leads the scoring charts in Belgium with a record of 17 goals in 33 games [including play offs] this season, as well as 3 in 7 in European competitions.
Although Newcastle face fierce competition from a string of potential suitors – including Southampton and Swansea City, the acquisition of Mitrovic would be a serious statement of intent.
Fans may be sceptical due to his £15million price-tag but Mike Ashley may have learnt his lesson from last summer. After failing to go the extra mile to land Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette, his fellow compatriot Emmanuel Riviere arrived for a cut-price of £5million.
Expectations were high among the Geordie faithful in August as their new £5million striker – who finished as AS Monaco’s top scorer last season, ahead of Colombian duo Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez – put pen-to-paper on a long-term deal.
Hopes were soon dashed as the 25-year-old failed to make any significant impact in his first few appearances in a black and white jersey.
Eighteen games into his Newcastle career and Manu’s first Premier League goal still continues to elude him.
