Southampton have joined West Ham in pursuit of Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, according to The Express. West Ham have been long-term admirers of Mitrovic and this report claims that these two Premier League sides will battle it out with Chinese Super League clubs.
Mitrovic looks set to leave Fulham after their relegation to the Championship was confirmed. Despite Fulham going down, Mitrovic still has a respectable tally of 11 Premier League goals.
Southampton join Aleksandar Mitrovic race
But the Hammers now face a battle to sign the 24-year-old. Southampton have joined the £30m chase for Mitrovic ahead of the summer window.
The Saints are set for a major reshuffle under Ralph Hasenhuttl. Danny Ings will join permanently from Liverpool but Charlie Austin could leave.
This opens up a vacancy in the striker department. And Mitrovic could be the ideal solution for Southampton, although his £30m price tag is quite hefty.
West Ham’s pursuit of Aleksandar Mitrovic
Several media outlets, including The Telegraph, have run reports linking Mitrovic with West Ham. The Serbia international fits the bill as West Ham need a striker.
But given reports suggesting West Ham have a low budget to work with, other targets might be ahead of the Fulham striker. And if West Ham do have a full budget, Maxi Gomez could be the first-choice target ahead of Mitrovic anyway.