Aleksandar Mitrovic Leaves Fulham to Join Neymar at Saudi Club Al Hilal

Football - Premier League - Everton v Fulham - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - August 12, 2023 Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic in action. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Everton v Fulham - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - August 12, 2023 Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic in action. (Reuters)
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Aleksandar Mitrovic Leaves Fulham to Join Neymar at Saudi Club Al Hilal

Football - Premier League - Everton v Fulham - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - August 12, 2023 Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic in action. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Everton v Fulham - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - August 12, 2023 Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic in action. (Reuters)

Serbia striker Aleksandar Mitrovic is the latest big-name signing for Al Hilal, the Riyadh-based club announced on Sunday.

The Saudi Pro League side, which signed Brazil's Neymar last week, posted a picture on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, of Mitrovic being presented with his team jersey with the caption “Mitrovic is Hilali until 2026.”

Mitrovic, Fulham's top scorer in four of the last five seasons, was absent from his team's 3-0 loss to Brentford on Saturday, after getting injured in Fulham's opening match of the English Premier League season against Everton last week.

Al Hilal is a record 18-time national champion.

“I got information before the match and now the confirmation from the club after the match too that he’s on his way to leave the club,” Fulham manager Marco Silva said at Craven Cottage after the loss to Brentford.

“Both clubs they got an agreement and now is the moment to finish the era of Mitrovic in our club," he added.



Neuville Fights Back in Japan to Close on 1st World Title

FIA World Rally Championship - Rally Sweden - Stage 7 of Second Round - Torsby, Sweden - February 15, 2020. Thierry Neuville of Belgium (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) speaks to the media. TT News Agency/Micke Fransson/via REUTERS/File Photo
FIA World Rally Championship - Rally Sweden - Stage 7 of Second Round - Torsby, Sweden - February 15, 2020. Thierry Neuville of Belgium (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) speaks to the media. TT News Agency/Micke Fransson/via REUTERS/File Photo
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Neuville Fights Back in Japan to Close on 1st World Title

FIA World Rally Championship - Rally Sweden - Stage 7 of Second Round - Torsby, Sweden - February 15, 2020. Thierry Neuville of Belgium (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) speaks to the media. TT News Agency/Micke Fransson/via REUTERS/File Photo
FIA World Rally Championship - Rally Sweden - Stage 7 of Second Round - Torsby, Sweden - February 15, 2020. Thierry Neuville of Belgium (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) speaks to the media. TT News Agency/Micke Fransson/via REUTERS/File Photo

Hyundai's Thierry Neuville fought back into the points at the season-ending Rally Japan on Saturday to stand on the cusp of his first world championship.

The Belgian, who needs six points to clinch the title, started the day 15th after a turbo pressure problem but moved up to seventh place to secure four of the required tally provided he finishes on Sunday.

Team mate and closest championship rival Ott Tanak will lead the rally into Sunday's final leg, 38 seconds clear of Toyota's Elfyn Evans, as leaders Hyundai also closed in on the manufacturers' title, Reuters reported.

Toyota's Sebastien Ogier was in third place.

"We’re satisfied that we’ve been able to catch seventh, which didn’t seem very realistic this morning," said Neuville.

"Of course, it could have been a much better weekend result, but I have faced many setbacks in my career and I have learnt to stay calm and deal with the situation.

"I think we managed that very well today, considering we had everything to lose while others had a lot to gain. It could be a big day tomorrow, but there is still a fight and we have to win some more points."

Tanak, the 2019 world champion, won the 13th and 16th stages while Neuville won stages 11 and 14 in the Aichi mountains near Nagoya.

Stage 12 was cancelled for security reasons after a van entered the course and blocked the road while Evans was waiting to start and after six cars had posted times. Police attended the scene and escorted the vehicle away.

"We've had this situation before here, which is challenging," the www.autosport.com, opens new tab website quoted FIA road sport director Andrew Wheatley as saying, calling the breach "very serious".

"Clearly, what's been done in the past has not been good enough and we need to find solutions to go forward. There is no excuse for this."