The top team in the Saudi Pro League is definitely Al Hilal under the guidance of Pippo Inzaghi, proven by their win against Manchester City in the Club World Cup. During this summer transfer window, they upgraded their center forward spot by parting ways with former Fulham striker Mitrović and bringing in Liverpool’s Núñez.

Al Hilal officially announced that the club and 30-year-old Serbian striker Mitrović have mutually agreed to terminate his contract one year early (originally set to last until 2026), and the player has joined Qatari club Al Rayyan on a free transfer.

Mitrović joined Al Hilal in the summer of 2023 from Fulham for a transfer fee of €52.6 million. Over two seasons with Al Hilal, he played 79 matches across all competitions, scoring 68 goals and providing 15 assists, averaging more than one goal involvement per game, demonstrating remarkable efficiency.

Now 30 years old, Mitrović stands 1.89 meters tall, is a right-footed striker with excellent heading ability, and has a market value estimated at €18 million by Transfermarkt. Last season, he appeared 36 times for Al Hilal across all competitions, contributing 28 goals and 7 assists. Why would Al Hilal let go of such a lethal weapon? It is reported that in his third year playing in the Saudi league, Mitrović would no longer be tax-exempt. He originally came to Saudi Arabia to earn big money, and by terminating his contract a year early, he joined Al Rayyan on a free transfer with a new contract reportedly worth $10 million annually. This explains why Mitrović left and chose not to return to Europe’s top five leagues; otherwise, given his ability, he could easily be a key player for a mid-to-lower table team in those leagues.