Aleksandar Mitrovic reportedly rejected overtures from Leeds United and West Ham United before joining Qatar side Al-Rayyan for a specific reason.

According to a report by Graeme Bailey on TBR Football, Aleksandar Mitrovic rejected a move to Leeds United and West Ham United for a specific reason during the summer. The Serbian striker was on the market in the latter stages of the European window, being offered a chance to make a return to England, but he chose to join Qatar side Al-Rayyan for a specific reason.

Alexandar Mitrovic chose to leave Al-Hilal for a new challenge in the Middle East, as he joined Qatar side Al-Rayyan after mutually ending his stay with the Saudi Pro League giants. The Serbian striker ended his stint with Al-Hilal after a prolific spell that saw him score 68 times and provide 11 assists in 79 appearances across all competitions.

The decision to join Al-Rayyan may come across as financially motivated, given that he was on high wages at Al-Hilal. However, Mitrovic had a chance to make a return to England during the summer, where Leeds United were one of those keen. West Ham United also held an interest in the 30-year-old striker, but he chose not to return for a specific reason.

Aleksandar Mitrovic did not want to tarnish his bond with Fulham by joining another Premier League club, and for that reason, he reportedly chose to make the switch to Al-Rayyan. At one point, he was even linked with a return to Fulham, but those stories may have just been rumours.

Leeds United and West Ham could have improved with Mitrovic

Given the status of both Leeds United and West Ham, with both clubs expected to fight it out at the bottom of the table, they could have made do with a player like Aleksandar Mitrovic. The 30-year-old striker would have improved their current squads, while adding a massive goal threat in the attack.

Mitrovic was a prolific presence for Fulham, while he also had a stint with Newcastle United before. Overall, he played 278 games in English football across all competitions with those two clubs, but over 200 with Fulham alone. He scored 111 goals for the Cottagers during his time there, while notching 17 for the Magpies, which did make him one of the prolific strikers in the country at that time.