Anderlecht Coach Says Club Would Be "In The S**t" If Newcastle Target Mitrovic Got Injured

Anderlecht head coach Besnik Hasi has revealed that Aleksandar Mitrovic was left out of the squad for their pre-season friendly over the weekend because the club would be "in the s**t" if he had picked up an injury. Newcastle United are believed to have had a £12.3 million bid accepted for the forward, with Porto also showing an interest in the Serbian, and Anderlecht want to cash in this summer. Hasi claims Mitrovic wanted to play for Anderlecht during their 0-0 draw against Istanbul Basaksehir FK, but that the club were reluctant to field their prized commodity with his potential transfer so delicately balanced right now.

Speaking to Dhnet.be, Hasi said:

"He wanted to play but I left him on the side for safety. If he breaks his legs, (Anderlecht) are in the s**t. "We are busy with transfer (with Newcastle) but the latest news is Mitro has not signed anywhere. "Hopefully something will happen before next Sunday."

New Newcastle boss Steve McClaren is looking to recruit at least two strikers this summer and Mitrovic has been high on the shopping list, alongside Queens Park Rangers forward Charlie Austin. Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City have also been linked to Mitrovic, while Porto are believed to have come up short in their final offer for the forward. Mitrovic has netted 44 goals in 90 matches for Anderlecht, and has a career total of 69 strikes from 158 games. A powerful and relatively-quick forward, Mitrovic has an eye for goal and he grabbed headlines when he scored Anderlecht€™s equaliser at the Emirates Stadium last November when the Belgian side came from three goals down to draw 3-3 against Arsenal in a Champions League group-stage match. Anderlecht paid Partizan Belgrade a club-record £4 million for the 11-cap Serbia international, who started his career at Teleoptik, back in August 2013 and he has gone on to become one of Europe€™s most sought-after forwards. In 2014-15 Mitrovic bagged 28 goals in 51 matches, including 20 in 37 Belgian Pro League appearances and three in the Champions League. For all the latest NUFC News, Views and Transfers make sure to follow whatculture.com/NUFC on Twitter and Facebook.