So what happens to Bola if we sign a left back ?
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What happens at the moment if Bola gets injured ? We need cover in all positions and with two matches a week NW can reduce the chance of injuries by rotating two quality left backs.
Come on BORO.
@original-fat-bob. The fee was the bit that surprised me as it was reported that we had offered less than £1M for the Cardiff left back (not considered enough) and now it's reported we will pay £2.5M!
I wonder if this is just all paper talk but there again the figures quoted for Payero and South American strikers have been eye watering considering the current financial climate. All a bit confusing to say the least. 🤔😎
Maybe Bola is being seen as a potential wide player in the Marvin Johnson role covering both positions? Given the opportunity he does seem keen to take a few shots at goal.
Jones is looking more like a permanent fixture but he is young and will need to be rested. I doubt Bidwell would want to be second choice so it creates competition which is healthy but Bola is one of our better performers. I think £2.5m could be better spent in other areas but it may be in the context that we no longer need to sign a LW?
£2.5m for left back cover seems too much to me as well, even if it’s also left wing cover.
Tav, Watmore, Jones and Ameobi can all operate at left wing but we do need cover for Bola.
I’d rather young Robinson was cover or we found a player on loan, whilst hoping Coulson comes back stronger next summer.
£2.5m would be better spent up front on top of whatever budget we have for a striker or two.
£2.5m for left back cover seems too much to me as well, even if it’s also left wing cover.
Tav, Watmore, Jones and Ameobi can all operate at left wing but we do need cover for Bola.
I’d rather young Robinson was cover or we found a player on loan, whilst hoping Coulson comes back stronger next summer.
£2.5m would be better spent up front on top of whatever budget we have for a striker or two.
Isn't Browne also due back from injury in October so it would feel like an overkill.
@andy-r. I hope Coulson comes back but not as a full back as he is not and will not be good enough defensively in my view.
I accept that he will gain experience playing for Ipswich but find it hard to believe he will improve sufficiently as a defender; one disadvantage for me, which he can't overcome, is that he is not particularly tall.😎
I agree £2.5m is being quoted but Bidwell is in his last year of his contract so the fee would be open to negotiations and I think NW will not sanction paying more than he values the player.
Come on BORO.
Middlesbrough have been credited with an interest in Sporting Lisbon’s Slovenia International Striker Andraž Šporar.
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@original-fat-bob. This may be the player that NW referred to in his post match press conference.😎
Reports are saying Andraž Šporar is set to sign for Middlesbrough on loan. The deal includes a mandatory buyout for €8.5m if the Slovenian scores 15 goals and Boro are promoted (tvi24 - Portugal)
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@original-fat-bob re: Andraž Špora as per a recent report by Portuguese publication A BOLA
They say in Portugal, that the move is set to be a loan, and there’ll be no fee to pay for that. Instead, Middlesbrough will cover all of the player’s wages and there’ll be a mandatory purchase clause based on conditions.
Should Middlesbrough be promoted to the Premier League, and Sporar play a certain amount of matches, then the transfer will be made permanent for €8.5m. Should that not happen that the mandatory clause becomes optional, and could be renegotiated.
I think we could affort the €8.5 next summer and there is no need to renegotiate as we are going up.
Up the Boro!
Middlesbrough are now rumoured to be interested in Heerenveen winger Mitchell van Bergen. He apparently has one year left on his contract and has refused a new deal.
According to Voetbal International, Middlesbrough are interested in signing Heerenveen winger Mitchell van Bergen.
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The Championship side are hoping to attract the winger in the coming weeks, while Heerenveen could see it as a way to raise some capital.
Van Bergen signed for Heerenveen back in 2018 from Vitesse Arnhem and he has made 99 appearances for the club, scoring 17 goals and adding 10 assists.
The Netherlands U21 international has only one year left on his contract with Heerenveen and has refused a new deal.
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@redcarred Another right-footed player? I think we need some players on the left-hand side. Perhaps just paper talk ...
Up the Boro!
@redcarred Another right-footed player? I think we need some players on the left-hand side. Perhaps just paper talk ...
Up the Boro!
I think that there could be something in this as the lad is very quick but rough around the edges like Adama was. If we can get him and polish those rough edges he could be a diamond in the making and a very profitable one at that.
This Summer the Club look to be far more astute and looking at long term needs like Payero as well as the immediate term like Ikpeazu and Crooks. Hopefully gone are the days of relieving money up a wall and then wondering why it didn't work yet again. Seemingly now having an actual Plan shows signs of maturity and common sense at long last. Better late than never.
Agree with that, RR. I wonder if this is the immediate impact of our new Head of Recruitment, even if many of the signings arrived before he was confirmed.
Good points. I was looking short term only. So cannot argue against you.
Still would like to see Bolasie back as he does not have a club yet 😇.
Up the Boro!
I was amazed to hear that most of Boro’s playing staff have refused to have the anti-covid injection, to my mind it’s totally irresponsible. What’s the matter with the youth of today? Already Covid has started to take its toll at Harrogate Town and with such a tight schedule of matches in the EFL. I know it’s not such a contact sport as Rugby League but so far 21 matches have been postponed due to Covid and the League will be determined by the % ratio at the end of the season. Two matches have been awarded 24-0 results to the opposition and it could well be that 3-0 scorelines might be awarded against football clubs as the season progresses if clubs are unable to fulfill their fixtures or as happened last season final league tables might be recorded on a % ratio.
Not only that but if clubs are forced to play with depleted squads there could be some heavy defeats for clubs who play with weakened sides. In Rugby League there have been some ridiculous score lines especially for Cas Tigers as one example. In April Cas beat Leeds 18-10, in May Cas lost at home to Leeds 6-60 yet a fortnight ago won against the same opponents 32-18 as 9 players had recovered from Covid. Also in April Cas beat Salford 28-18 but in July lost at home to the same opponents 18-70. There are other similar occasions when scores between clubs have defied logic. In football some players are still shaking hands when advised not to do so.
As Neil Warnock has stated some footballers seem to think they’re immune to Covid when most of us realise that Covid is not going away and might be with us for several years ahead. It’s the older generation who are the most vulnerable and I think it’s a total disrespect from the younger generation not to acknowledge that.
I really think that's daft. I've had covid and then thanks to Bahrain vaccination drive I have had 3 jabs 2 inactive vaccines [traditional type] and one Pfizer booster. When I was in enforced quarantine with 700 others I saw some very sick people. The jabs are the way forward. I think they are cowards!! We know far more today about these jabs than my parents did in the '50s and still they gave us them then.
Rant over.
@allan-in-bahrain. That's not a rant that is experience and common sense talking. 😎
Football League World understands that Middlesbrough are determined to keep Fry in the remaining 12 days of the transfer window, despite Southampton and Wolves showing late interest in him.
Southampton have recently lost Jannik Vestergaard to Leicester City and are looking to replace him, whilst Wolves are aiming to evolve as a squad under Bruno Lage.
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Agree with that, RR. I wonder if this is the immediate impact of our new Head of Recruitment, even if many of the signings arrived before he was confirmed.
I think it's down to a new Scouting approach rather than Scott's imminent arrival.
As far as I know Scott is still on Gardening leave with Norwich and Gibson's previous strict stance on honouring contracts and suing for breach of them tells me that the credit albeit perhaps in anticipation lies with Gary Gill's replacement which augurs well if he is singing from the same Hymn sheet as Scott in identifying flawed individuals like Pukki and Buendia but whose stats show something as yet untapped.
@original-fat-bob, money talks and everyone and everything has a price. I doubt Fry wants to leave but I wouldn't be surprised if an offer too good to be turned down doesn't prise away one of our assets. My money is on McNair.
I see Reading have announced the signing of Junior Hoilett on a one year deal. Personally I'd rather we focussed on recruiting younger Players with a potential re-sale value so can't say I'm overly bothered, besides which the emergence of Jones has been a revelation.
McNair has been playing as if he’s disinterested. I think he’s been tapped and is waiting to get away
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McNair has been playing as if he’s disinterested. I think he’s been tapped and is waiting to get away
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I suspected that too. Maybe all the talk of new players coming in has made his mind up to leave.
I’d be happy to accept a decent offer for McNair to be honest.
We paid £5m I think. If we can get that back I’d take it. Any more is really good business.
Boro have announced that they have completed the signing of Nigerian striker Toyosi Olusanya on a two-year contract.
"I came from non-league myself, I watched him play and I just had hunch. He knows Isaiah [Jones] too which is a plus.
"I hope he enjoys himself here, it's a big ask but I hope he can excite everyone here like he excites me. He's got a great attitude."