Chelsea have been told to sign Aleksandar Mitrovic this summer, with Mauricio Pochettino eager to further bolster his frontline. The 28-year-old striker has been briefly linked with a move to Stamford Bridge recently following his impressive performances for Fulham.
Mitrovic, who sees his contract at Craven Cottage expire in 2026, featured 24 times for Marco Silva's side in the Premier League this season, directly contributing towards 16 goals. With the Blues in the market for a new talisman, the Serbia international has been identified by many as the ideal target due to his eye for goal and combative nature.
Chelsea have struggled to replace Didier Drogba over the years, with only Diego Costa and Olivier Giroud coming close to filling the Ivorian's shoes. Several managers have experimented with Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubamyeang, but neither of which have enjoyed nearly as much success.
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Speaking on the Si & Dan Talk Chelsea podcast, Frank Leboeuf explained why Pochettino must sign Mitrovic, who has been compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The former Blues defender said: "We need a striker, and I think we need someone like Aleksandar Mitrovic from Fulham would work.
"Mitrovic has the real mentality, he would move the dressing room. I think Mitrovic has a similar personality to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he can be that type of guy, he has the mentality of winner.
"I like solders. Those guys never never blink, they never let go, they always face up to it. I love it. He’s done very well for Fulham and he wouldn’t need to move that far away to join Chelsea!"
During the previous January transfer window, Darren Bent also encouraged Chelsea to sign Mitrovic. Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Aston Villa striker said: "Mitrovic has surprised me. I thought he’d score goals, but not at this rate.
"Managers will look at him and know that he can score goals. 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."
While Mitrovic's mentality is admired, his temperament has got the better of him on a few occasions. In April, the Serbian received a length ban after he was charged with violent and improper conduct following a red card against Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-final.
He appeared to grab referee Chris Kavanagh by the arm. Mitrovic watched Fulham's next eight games from the stands, almost costing his side a place in the Premier League top-ten.
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