Konstantinos Mitroglou was unvailed on Transfer Deadline Day as Fulham's record signing, as the Greek international completed his reported £12m move from Olympiakos. Mitroglou, who has been on the radar of many European clubs including Borussia Dortmund after his impressive goalscoring record in his homeland with Olympiakos and national side Greece described his move as "Flattering".
Mitroglou has netted 8 times in 28 appearances for Greece, including three goals in their two-legged World Cup Play-Off victory against Romania. Mitroglou leaves Olympiakos on good terms, he made 86 appearances, scoring 41 goals, in six seasons, an impressive contribution into a succesive seven year spell in which he helped his team to three Super League titles, three Greek Cups and one Greek Super Cup. He also made history by become the first Greek player to score a hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League, notching all three goals in this season’s 0-3 win away at Anderlecht in the Group Stages of the competition in October. With Champions League experience, Mitroglou is a significant installment to the Fulham squad.
Dimitar Berbatov completed his move to AS Monaco on loan until the end of the season, and Meulensteen has invested his trust in Mitroglou after making him the club's record signing. The deal for Mitroglou will be regarded as a significant statement of intent given the pedigree of the 25-year-old, who has scored 23 goals in 25 matches for club and country this season. After Fulham agreed a fee of £12.4m, West Ham manager Sam Allardyce sent officials to try and hijack the deal.
Sky Sports News reported that Mitroglou was in talks with the East London club, both clubs becoming locked in a battle for his signature. It was Fulham who won the race when he put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half-year deal on Friday evening. Former Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll, who plays for Olympiakos, told BBC Sport that he expects Mitroglou to be successful in the Barclays Premier League:
"He has been the top goalscorer in Greece for the last two years and he is hungry and passionate about his football. He can score left or right-footed and also scored against Arsenal with his head."
He further added:
"Against Anderlecht in the Champions League, he had three chances and scored three goals. He just needs one chance and he scores it. Fulham need a goalscorer and they've got one."