Middlesbrough signed Algerian international Adlene Guedioura from Watford in January 2017, as Boro manager Aitor Karanka sought to strengthen the Teessiders’ Premier League survival chances.
Guedioura, who was signed from the Hornets for a reported sum of £3.5 million, arrived at the Riverside Stadium in the last hours of the winter transfer window, giving Karanka a last-minute boost to his midfield options.
It appeared to be a solid addition for Middlesbrough, as he had previously played in the Premier League for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Crystal Palace, and Watford.
However, it would be a signing that Boro fans would prefer to forget, as he would experience a dreadful tenure on Teesside, cementing his legacy as a massive Middlesbrough transfer flop.
Adlene Guedioura fails to make Boro impact
With Middlesbrough 15th in the Premier League and two points above the relegation zone after the end of play on January 31, 2017, the club hoped to begin to pull away from danger in the second half of the season.
Speaking about his new signing shortly after his arrival, Karanka said: “He (Guedioura) is a player I’ve admired for the previous three years because he looked like a man even when Watford was in the Championship.
“He’s the type of player who combines charisma, quality, and Premier League experience. He’s a player who isn’t only for now; I liked him a long time ago.
Clearly, the Middlesbrough head coach expected Guedioura to come in and make a significant difference in Boro’s team, but that was not the case.
After only five substitute appearances between his January arrival and the end of the 2016/17 Premier League season, the Algerian fell far down Middlesbrough’s midfield pecking order.
Marten de Roon, Grant Leadbitter, Adam Clayton, and Adam Forshaw were all given preference over him, which meant he was frequently left out of the matchday squad entirely.
So, it may be an understatement to say that his first few months on Teesside did not go as planned for him or Middlesbrough Football Club. But, with Boro back in the Championship after being relegated from the Premier League, would the 2017/18 season mark Guedioura’s official entrance in the North East?
Guedioura calls time on his Middlesbrough career
Unfortunately, it would not be. In fact, the 2017/18 season would be his last in a Middlesbrough shirt, as he once again failed to ignite his Boro career.
Guedioura would make only one appearance in the first half of the season, being substituted after 50 minutes in a 3-2 away win over Preston North End on January 1, 2018.
Despite missing many games while recovering from a hamstring injury in the Middle East, the midfielder was clearly not part of new manager Garry Monk’s plans.
On Deadline Day in the 2018 January transfer window, with no future at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough and Guedioura reached an agreement to mutually terminate his contract, allowing him to return to former club Nottingham Forest.
He would leave Teesside having started only one game in a Middlesbrough shirt, cementing his status as one of the club’s biggest transfer flops in recent years and establishing Watford as the clear victors of the transaction.
Boro spent £3.5 million on the Algerian, and considering his Premier League, Championship, and international experience, it’s safe to say that the club expected a considerably higher return on their investment than they got.
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