Man Utd transfer target ruined chances of move after seeing red in chaotic clash
Aleksandar Mitrovic was scoring for fun and on Manchester United's radar before a meltdown saw him slapped with an eight-game ban, ultimately jeopardising the prospect of a big-money move
Serbian marksman Mitrovic enjoyed a stellar 2022/23 campaign for Fulham. A healthy goal tally in the Premier League, spearheaded by six goals in as many matches to begin the season, meant he'd piqued the interest of United, Tottenham and Chelsea.
His eventual move to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League last summer was a far cry from those clubs, but it came off the back of a red card that saw him miss eight games - cooling almost all of the interest he once held.
Indeed, United and Fulham's 2023 FA Cup clash ended in the most bizarre fashion. Three red cards in 20 minutes, one of those being shown to manager Marco Silva, saw a goal-to-the-good Fulham squander their slender lead.
Their meltdown's catalyst was Willian's deliberate handball, which denied Jadon Sancho a leveller on the line. When referee Chris Kavanagh went to the monitor as advised by VAR, Silva left his technical area to angrily protest and was shown his marching orders.
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Willian was adjudged to have handled the ball, and a penalty and sending-off were in order, but upon returning to the field, Kavanagh was approached by Mitrovic, who clearly disagreed with the decision.
The Serbian pushed the official and was instantly shown a red. Willian's resulting dismissal meant Fulham were down to nine and in hot water. Bruno Fernandes converted the subsequent penalty before Marcel Sabitzer flicked in a second two minutes later. A Fred strike in added time then condemned Fulham to a 3-1 defeat.
Wout Weghorst, who found the net just twice for United, was their choice of number nine on the day, and Mitrovic could've provided a lethal upgrade in attack come the summer.
Chris Kavanagh showed Aleksandar Mitrovic a red card during a chaotic clash (Getty Images)Alas, the eight-game ban that ensued meant all transfer rumours disintegrated, and Mitrovic netted just three more goals in a Fulham shirt before making a £40million move to Saudi. United went on to sign Rasmus Hojlund, who has begun to fire on all cylinders, netting in six successive games.
Speaking after the incident, Mitrovic stated: “On a personal level, I regret the actions that led to me being sent off. I allowed my frustration to get the better of me, and how I reacted was wrong.
“I regret what happened and I have spoken to Chris Kavanagh to apologise. He knows I respect him and the job he does. Unfortunately, we did not see eye-to-eye on the day."
Mitrovic's future could have looked very different, but he's kept hold of his shooting boots in Saudi Arabia, notching a staggering 28 goals in 29 games for Al Hilal this season and sitting just two goals behind Cristiano Ronaldo in the Golden Boot race.
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