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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Ricky Charlesworth

Karren Brady offers brutal verdict on Fulham goalscoring machine Aleksandar Mitrovic

Aleksandar Mitrovic probably doesn't need much motivation to succeed in the Premier League next season.

That, in all likelihood, is where the Serbian will be playing next season - either with Championship winners-elect Fulham or with another team if they can stump up a huge transfer fee.

But despite scoring a mammoth 34 league goals, a prominent figure has predicted Mitrovic to again struggle in the top flight next term.

His best tally in the Premier League is 11, back in the 2018-19 season when Fulham were relegated. Karren Brady, vice-chairman of Fulham's London rivals West Ham United, says Mitrovic's penchant for swapping divisions will see history repeat itself next season.

Will Mitrovic prove Brady wrong next season? Let us know in the comments

Writing in her Sun column, she said: "Mitrovic has been a one-man avalanche of goals this season making ­Fulham favourites to be ­promoted from the Championship.

"Nothing like his scoring has been recorded previously in the division and Fulham, leaders by nine points, must surely be planning for a Premier League future next season.

"One thing they can be sure of is the 27-year-old Serb won’t be scoring at anything like his current rate, 34 goals in 31 games.

"They know that because he’s been tried and tested with Newcastle.

"And not surprisingly hasn’t come within a country mile of it.

"And if you like unusual facts, here’s one — he has swapped from Championship to Premier League and back eight times in the past eight seasons.

"This is further clear evidence of just how hard it is for teams to translate to the top level.

"And it is becoming harder for those such as Fulham, West Brom and Norwich who have been stuck on a seemingly eternal switchback."

Mitrovic is following in Louis Saha's footsteps, in scoring the goals to send Fulham on their way to a second tier title.

Saha hit 27 back in 2000-01 as the Cottagers laid the foundations for a lengthy stay at the top table of English football.

Speaking to Mirror Football this week, Saha said of Mitrovic: "I think he'll get mid-40s (goals) which will be amazing.

"The momentum tends to drop a little bit at the end of the season, unless you score many, many penalties!

"But Fulham are in such great form that it seems at times like it's effortless for them.

"He can achieve everything. When you have that platform of already being on 34 goals, yes you can definitely reach 50 but realistically I think he will score maybe ten more.

"And he can certainly be pleased with that. He's shown he's a top striker wherever he's been. He's got an amazing number in a really tough league.

"There's a lot of modern players now, for instance fake wingers that don't cross balls. So to have a number nine that is scoring that many goals, a kind of old-fashioned type, it shows he's very clever as to where he positions himself."

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