With the January transfer window approaching, Middlesbrough might be in for a hectic month.
After missing out on the play-offs last season, Middlesbrough has had a promising first half of the season, but while they are presently sixth in the standings, January might be critical to their chances of remaining in the promotion race.
| Championship table (as it stands 23rd December) | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Sheffield United | 22 | 21 | 48 |
| 2 | Leeds United | 22 | 26 | 45 |
| 3 | Burnley | 22 | 19 | 44 |
| 4 | Sunderland | 22 | 16 | 43 |
| 5 | Blackburn Rovers | 21 | 7 | 37 |
| 6 | Middlesbrough | 22 | 10 | 35 |
| 7 | West Brom | 22 | 10 | 35 |
| 8 | Watford | 21 | ||
Boro refused to sell any of its important players in the summer, and there were no high-profile departures from the Riverside Stadium, but with speculation growing about a number of their stars, their resolve may be tested once more in January.
Ipswich Town made a £20 million approach for striker Emmanuel Latte Lath in the summer, and the Tractor Boys are expected to renew their interest in January, along with West Ham United, while defender Rav van den Berg has been linked with Crystal Palace.
However, Boro head coach Michael Carrick has indicated that “we want to come out of January as strong, if not stronger, than we are going into it,” implying that he is also aiming to strengthen his squad while keeping players like Latte Lath and van den Berg.
Middlesbrough fan pundit identifies potential January targets
When questioned about his intentions for the January transfer window, FLW’s Middlesbrough fan pundit Jasper Hudson stated that retaining key players will be critical next month, but he also encouraged the club to seek Aston Villa’s Louie Barry, Hull City’s Ryan Giles, and Bournemouth’s Max Aarons.
“A perfect January for Middlesbrough involves keeping key players, namely Ben Doak, Emmanuel Latte Lath, Finn Azaz, Rav van den Berg and Hayden Hackney,” Jasper told the BBC.
“Those are the most important players to the system and the way we play, and they are virtually irreplaceable at this point in the season, particularly if we lose more than one of them.
“If we lost one, Latte Lath would be the easiest to replace since Tommy Conway has been so brilliant when he has stepped in, but Latte Lath has a large physical presence, which is why he has been so effective, so it would be a significant loss.
“We absolutely need to strengthen, and I believe the Louie Barry loan is a simple one.
“It’s January, it’s been six months, it makes sense to add another quality alternative, and if it doesn’t work out, it’s only a short-term loan.
“We might perhaps reinforce at left-back as well; Lukas Engel hasn’t played at all, and it’s been up to Neto Borges with Alex Bangura out injured.
“The obvious decision would be if we could arrange a deal to bring Ryan Giles back, although on a six-month loan with the option to buy or something similar where we don’t have to commit.
“It’s been a year since he’s been with us, so this provides us the opportunity to add quality and depth while also reevaluating if he could be a player who will impact the group in the future.
“I believe we could also reinforce at right-back; Tommy Smith and Anfernee Dijksteel are both out of contract in the summer, so it would be a wonderful opportunity to bring in a player on a short-term basis or perhaps buy one.
“With the way we play with attacking full-backs under Carrick, Max Aarons may become a name because he is an experienced Championship player.
“Strengthening the squad with quality, especially at full-back with the injuries we’ve had, will be crucial in the January window, as well as keeping our best players where we can.”
Louie Barry may be a viable signing for Middlesbrough in January.
While preserving its stars is likely to be Middlesbrough’s top goal in January, they will also aim to add more quality to their team to help their promotion chances, and Barry, Giles, and Aarons would all be terrific additions.
Villa have confirmed that Barry will be recalled from his loan term at League One side Stockport County next month after scoring 15 goals in 22 games in the first half of the season, with the Teesside club reported to be the front-runners to recruit the 21-year-old.
Boro fans had long wanted Giles to return to the Riverside Stadium following his successful loan spell in the 2022-23 season, but while a move appeared to be in the works a few weeks ago, he is now back in Hull’s starting lineup under new manager Ruben Selles.
Aarons has only made one Premier League substitute appearance for Bournemouth this season, so he may be permitted to leave the Vitality Stadium in January, but with Luke Ayling and Anfernee Dijksteel already on the roster, Carrick may decide against bringing in another right-back.
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