Aleksandar Mitrovic set to join Al Hilal as £46m Fulham exit edges closer

Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic is set to sign join Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League.

The 28-year-old was the subject of two rejected bids earlier in the summer, the second worth around £35million and reportedly made clear his desire to leave the club for the Gulf state.

Al Hilal have not been deterred, however, and are now expected to wrap up the signing for around £46m, in the same week Neymar was signed from Paris Saint-Germain for £77m.

Mitrovic was not named in the matchday squad for Saturday’s London derby against Brentford.

Manager Marco Silva insisted on Friday that a minor ankle injury sustained last weekend against Everton was the reason, but he would not comment on Mitrovic’s longer-term future. Last week, Silva insisted the player was “100 per cent committed” to life at Fulham.

There is a growing feeling that Mitrovic has now played his last match for the club. He was not present at Craven Cottage as his team-mates hosted Brentford.

Fulham finished tenth last season, and Silva had braced himself for intense transfer interest in his players.

“We had to be ready as a club for the consequences from the season that we had”, he said on Friday. “If you perform like we did, if you do something that no one expected, something great, of course this club is probably receiving more offers than ever.”