Aleksandar Mitrović is set to join Al-Rayyan after terminating his Al-Hilal contract, ending faint summer links with Birmingham City.
The Serbian striker had been mentioned alongside Blues during August, but attention at St Andrew’s has already moved on after a busy window under head coach Chris Davies.
Mitrović move closes a brief Blues subplot
Reports this week indicated Mitrović’s deal with Al-Hilal has been cancelled by mutual consent, clearing the way for a switch to Qatar with Al-Rayyan. The 35-year-old leaves Saudi Arabia with multiple trophies on his CV after departing Fulham in 2023, and remains a prolific international, with a record that includes 62 goals for Serbia.
Speculation over an unlikely Birmingham swoop always felt remote given Championship realities and Mitrović’s market profile. With Al-Hilal landing Darwin Núñez from Liverpool last month, the path cleared for the Serbian to move on, and the Qatari Stars League now looks his next stop.
For Blues, the story is a footnote to a significant rebuild. Davies, appointed in 2024 and fresh from steering Birmingham to the League One title, oversaw a summer that saw a dozen arrivals and a host of exits. The focus has been on adding athleticism and depth across the pitch, with director of football Craig Gardner shaping a squad aimed at sustaining a Championship promotion push.
Attention returns to Davies’s evolving squad
Birmingham’s early weeks have offered a glimpse of the intended identity, with competition for places across the forward line and a clear emphasis on intensity without the ball. A marquee centre forward of Mitrović’s calibre was never on the cards, and the coaching staff remain confident the current mix can deliver the required goals through variety rather than a single focal point.
The Mitrović development does, however, underline how quickly elite attacking markets can shift late in the window. Clubs at Championship level must balance opportunity with wage structure and dressing-room balance, and Birmingham’s strategy this summer reflected exactly that. With the window closed, Davies can fully concentrate on integrating the new faces and maximising output from a refreshed front unit.
Writer’s View
Mitrović to Al-Rayyan neatly closes an August rumour that never felt aligned with Birmingham’s model. The headline name would have dominated attention, but Blues have prioritised depth, versatility and sustainability as they chase a second straight promotion.
With the manager bedded in and recruitment targeted at roles rather than reputations, the key now is continuity and cohesion. If the collective attacking plan clicks over the next month, the lack of a superstar number nine is unlikely to define the season. The story here is not the one that got away, it is the one being built under Davies.
