Fulham set for Mitrovic conundrum in January as suitors eye up goal machine

The Cottagers’ Serbian striker is on course to smash the Championship goal record to smithereens after notching again last weekend to take his tally to 21 goals in 18 games

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Championship fixtures: Day one, boxing day and final day

There is probably not a striker on the planet in as rich a vein of form as Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The Fulham forward scored on Saturday in his team’s 4-1 thumping of Barnsley as they went to the top of the Championship table.

Remarkably that was the Serbian’s 21st league goal of the campaign.

He’s now scored in their last seven outings and it seems only a matter of when, not if, he breaks the second tier’s goal record since its re-branding in 2004-05.

Brentford’s Ivan Toney holds that particular record after notching 31 times last season. But Mitrovic is on course to overtake that by early next year if he continues in the same run of form.

Will Mitrovic break Ivan Toney’s goal record? Let us know in the comments section

Reports earlier this month suggested that the 27-year-old penned a new five-year deal with Fulham that sees him rake in £100,000 per week – the highest salary in Championship history.

But with the January transfer window fast approaching there could be plenty of interest in him.

Fresh reports coming out of Spain suggest that Unai Emery’s Villarreal are looking into a potential move for the striker.

A fee of €16million is being mooted although it is unclear whether Fulham would even entertain the possibility of selling their star asset, particularly midway through a campaign where they are looking a good bet for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Villarreal’s interest may raise some eyebrows but they have previous for signing players from England’s second tier.

Last summer they forked out £21million for Bournemouth’s Arnaut Danjuma and the Dutchman has been a revelation in La Liga.

He has already scored seven times and caught the eye in the Champions League against Manchester United.

Whether the interest in Mitrovic manifests itself into a concrete bid remains to be seen.

Speaking about his star striker after the win over Barnsley, Fulham boss Marco Silva praised his unselfishness when despite being through on goal late on he opted instead to set up a teammate.

Silva said: “I told the players in the dressing room, that shows his (MItrovic’s) commitment to the club, his team-mates, to me, to the staff and with our target.

“I think it was 4-1 and he did what he should do, and he did it.

“The players know we want to share the goals but of course if you have a player like Mitro normally the striker is the one who scores.”

Fulham’s win, combined with Bournemouth’s shock defeat at bottom side Derby on Sunday, means the Cottagers are a point clear at the top.

Wednesday night sees them host Wayne Rooney’s side as they look for an eighth consecutive win.