Fulham have agreed a deal to sign Raul Jimenez from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £5.5m, with the striker set to undergo medical tests.
Raul Jimenez, 32, who has a year left on his contract at Molineux, has been with Wolves for the last five campaigns, first joining on loan in 2018 from Portuguese club Benfica before signing permanently the following summer. He netted 44 goals in his first two seasons, firing the Black County outfit to claim two consecutive seventh-place finishes to guarantee the club’s place in the Europa League.
The Mexico international was the leader of the Wolves’ attack on their return to the top flight before he suffered a devastating fractured skull away at Arsenal in November 2020. Since completely recovering from a life-threatening skull injury, Jimenez has netted just 15 goals and went goalless last campaign. The 32-year-old striker is set to leave Wolves with 57 goals in 166 appearances.
The Serbian, who was the West London club’s top scorer with 14 goals in 24 league appearances last season, has sparked a fallout between Fulham. The 28-year-old has apparently told relatives he will not feature for the Cottagers after the club’s top brass slapped a £52m price tag on him.
However, a compromise is expected on the fee between the two clubs, with Marco Silva seeking to quickly replace Mitrovic in his squad.
Fulham to sign Raul Jimenez as Mitrovic replacement
Fulham are closing in on the signing of Jimenez after a £5.5m fee was agreed with Wolves over the weekend. He is expected to finalise personal terms with Fulham on Monday as well as complete his medical.
Jimenez has been unable to recapture his form since suffering a horrific skull injury, with him failing to score a single goal in 15 appearances this past term. Yet, Marco Silva seemingly wants the Mexican in his squad to replace Mitrovic and lead Fulham’s attack next season.
After five seasons at Molineux, it is perhaps the right time for the 32-year-old to leave Wolves. A move to Fulham could work out well, with him needing a new adventure in the Premier League. The Cottagers showed last season they are heading in the right direction under the guidance of Marco Silva, and with Mitrovic set to depart, Jimenez should have a great opportunity to become the face of their attack next term.
If Silva and his coaching staff can lift the spirits of the Mexico international, he will be a huge threat in front of goal with the kind of attackers Fulham have in wide areas.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
