Aleksandar Mitrovic successfully forced his way out of Fulham after a deal was agreed with Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal following the 3-0 home loss to Brentford in the Premier League.
The Serbian striker was absent from the squad ahead of his move to the Saudi Pro League and was replaced by summer signing Raul Jimenez, who drew a second straight blank when leading the line.
In his post-match press conference, Cottagers boss Marco Silva mentioned Mitrovic forced his way out of the club after it was reported in July the 28-year-old said he would never play for the west London side again if an agreement was not found.
And Fulham later confirmed Mitrovic’s departure in a statement, which read: “Fulham can confirm that Aleksandar Mitrović has this evening left to join Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League for a club record transfer fee. The club had reluctantly accepted a revised offer as the player had consistently made his desire to leave known.”
In his press conference, Silva had said: “He is on the way to leave the club. I got information from the club after the match, both clubs have got an agreement and now it’s the moment where it is the finish of Mitrovic in our club.
“As you know he forced everything to leave the club, he wanted to leave the club and until the moment that the board found a financial agreement we kept him at our football club but at the end they reached an agreement and now for us we keep playing without him.
“Football players are human as well, the situation with the market – sometimes they are thinking about other stuff because it was not just Mitrovic in our club (who had interest from other teams) during the last three or four weeks.
“I will talk to him tomorrow and in two days’ time because our relationship is there forever.”
Aleksandar Mitrovic has left Fulham— (Getty Images)
Yoane Wissa’s first-half strike and a Bryan Mbeumo double sealed all three points for Thomas Frank’s men in a dominant display away from home, with Fulham skipper Tim Ream shown a red card.
The Bees boss lauded the strike partnership who have scored five times between them in their opening two games despite the absence of star man Ivan Toney.
Frank said: “I think they are two good players no doubt about that. Bryan has been so good in the four or five years he has been here with us.
“Wissa we knew is a goalscorer and I think he can play winger or nine, he could arguably of got one or two more today.
“It means a lot that in the last two games our strikers have scored five goals and that gives us even more confidence.
“There’s a good understanding between Bryan and Wissa and I think Kevin (Schade) and Keane (Lewis-Potter) are also adding to it.”
Bryan Mbeumo scored twice against Fulham— (AFP via Getty Images)
Today’s win extended Brentford’s unbeaten run in London derbies to 11 Premier League games and Frank credited the role of their vocal supporters which galvanized his team.
He added: “The supporters were fantastic.
“I am so pleased for them that they got this derby win and this was 100 per cent for the supporters and I hope they have a wonderful evening down the Thames in the pubs.”
