Mitroglou verdict

Will Kostas Mitroglou be a hit at Fulham? Read our assessment and offer your own verdict here.

Kostas Mitroglou

To: Fulham
From: Olympiakos
Fee: £12.4million Age: 25
Position: Striker
Nationality: Greek

Bio

Although born in Greece, Mitroglou grew up in Germany and played reserve-team football for Borussia Monchengladbach before returning to his homeland with Olympiakos. After several loan spells elsewhere, he enjoyed a breakthrough season last year and has further developed his game in the 2013/14 season with a strike rate of better than a goal per game in the Greek Super League.

He says

"My success is the result of a lot of hard work over the years. Some years have passed since 2007, when I kicked on in the Monchengladbach youth and reserve teams. During this time I have always tried to improve myself constantly. Of course, it has required a lot of patience and also a little bit of luck."

They say

"As the Greek league is less on the front of the stage, there is less talk of Mitroglou. He is discovered when playing international matches. I'm happy for him because this is a guy who has both a physical presence and a sense of finishing.... This is a true finisher. He must try to evolve to a higher level to see what he really is capable of. In any case, all the major European clubs will certainly be alert. When you look at his statistics, we cannot ignore him." - Arsene Wenger, Arsenal manager.

Mitroglou would be a good signing for Fulham and would do well in England, but has struggled with injury of late.

- Paul Sarahs (@PaulSarahs) January 28, 2014

Hit?

Lethargy in front of goal has been a problem for Fulham this season but there seems little danger of that with Mitroglou. The Greece international is one of the in-form strikers in European football and bagged a Champions League hat-trick as recently as October in the 3-0 win at Anderlecht. This is a player who could link up well with Lewis Holtby and turn Fulham's season around.

Miss?

Goals in Greece are one thing but Fulham need a striker who can hit the ground running and deliver immediately. With some fitness concerns surrounding the player, the bedding-in period will be short and expectations high. Can Mitroglou cope with the spotlight that comes with the huge fee and the responsibility of getting Fulham winning again?

Verdict

It's a lot of money but there's a lot of money at stake for Fulham as they are playing for their Premier League future. Mitroglou has the tools to fire them to safety and make this considerable outlay look like a good investment. Expect him to make an impact.