According to the Daily Mirror, December 16, page 65, Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic is unsettled at Craven Cottage following the sacking of his fellow Serbian Slavisa Jokanovic.
That has apparently attracted interest from Everton, and means that Claudio Ranieri is facing the prospect of going through a hectic festive period that could define his season with an unsettled talisman.
Newcastle offloaded the hitman during a summer transfer window in which they were desperate for goalscorers and even though Mitrovic did not look a perfect fit for Rafa Benitez’s preferred style of play, that was still a risk.
But given how quickly Mitrovic has apparently lost heart – simply through the removal of the manager who brought him to west London – perhaps it was the correct decision after all.
Mitrovic had a transformative impact on Fulham’s promotion campaign last time around, but a player having such a large influence on the fortunes of his team can work both ways and now the Cottagers find themselves in a situation where their big attacking gamble has perhaps had his head turned.
Top of Ranieri’s to do list must be getting Mitrovic back onside; or he may as well cash in on him and take an expensive January punt on a fully-committed frontman to spearhead his side’s promotion bid.