The Fulham manager said on Thursday that he was “100 per cent sure” of Mitrovic’s commitment to the cause at Craven Cottage despite one concrete bid from Saudi Arabia turning his head last month.
Mitrovic, who scored 14 Premier League goals last term, is set to start against Everton in Fulham’s first league match of the new campaign on Saturday, but Silva was coy on his hopes of keeping Mitrovic.
“He’s a top goalscorer”, Silva said. “We helped him and were able to get the most out of him over two seasons, like no one has done before. That is the reality. We all know what Mitrovic was like when we arrived, when the team played in the Premier League when the club was relegated.
“But the market is open and everyone is looking for strikers. If you want to get a good striker, of course I believe that [clubs will look at] Mitro.
“I cannot guarantee that he is going to be 100 per cent with us until the end of the transfer market because I cannot control the market. I understand the football business and if something happens we have to be ready for it.”
Silva, who also had Saudi offers, is out of contract as Fulham’s manager at the end of the coming season. He insisted: “We keep having conversations.
“The board is trying to do everything they can to [sign] the players that we need. It has not been at the time we would like; they are doing their best. I know we don’t agree on everything, but in football it’s almost impossible to agree on everything.”
Silva is pleased the club have held onto some of last season’s top performers.
Mitrovic has been Marco Silva’s talisman at Fulham but has no shortage of suitors after his strong form across the last two seasons for the Cottagers
/ Getty ImagesHe said: “Not just Joao Palhinha. It was also crucial for us to keep one of the best goalkeepers in this competition in Bernd Leno. We received an offer for Joao, the club decided it was not the moment to sell Joao, and I am pleased for that.”
So far this summer, Fulham have signed defender Calvin Bassey from Ajax for £19.5million and striker Raul Jimenez from Wolves for a fee of £5m plus add-ons.
“They have settled really well,” said Silva. “Raul is much more mature. He’s very experienced in the Premier League. He’s going to help us; he showed that last week against Hoffenheim. He’s a very good addition. It’s good to have a different profile of striker, that can decide games. He has other skills.
“Calvin is a player we believe will be really important. We were looking for a left-footed central defender. We need a player like Calvin — young, but who has experienced Champions League last season and two seasons ago played the final of the Europa League.”
