For someone who struggled so much in the Premier League, a lot of attention has suddenly arrived Aleksandar Mtrovic’s way, notably from Napoli.
We covered the claims earlier on Monday, but Alfredo Pedulla in Italy, via his own website, adds another layer to the whole story, claiming the player could have already been in Italy were it not for Edin Dzeko.
The Serbian striker, who was still at Anderlecht at the time, was apparently close to joining AS Roma during the same summer that Newcastle landed his services.
The Serie A side eventually decided to splash the cash on Manchester City’s Edin Dzeko on a loan + permanent transfer deal instead, which appeared to backfire last season.
Scoring only 10 goals in 39 appearances last season in all competition, the Bosnian suffered a similar season to Mitrovic’s who only bagged nine goals in 36 appearances for Newcastle.
However, both men appear to have found some form in their second season under new managers, with Dzeko already surpassing his tally from last year with 12 in 19, while Mitrovic, who missed the start of the season through suspension, now has five in 10.
Who got the better deal in the end? It all depends on how Mitrovic, eight years younger than Dzeko, develops over the coming seasons.
After all, Roma knew what they were getting.
