Two Last Minute Deals That Middlesbrough Could Complete This Summer
Having spent a fortune in the summer transfer window to date, flashing the Premier League cash somewhat, Middlesbrough would have expected a flying start and you could argue they’ve done just alright.
A loss to Wolves on the opening day may have been hard to take but they are a side who could well end up challenging the likes of Boro for the title, so there is no shame there. So when that was followed up with two league wins, everything looked rosy.
Their narrow 1-0 home win over Sheffield United didn’t exactly blow anyone’s skirt up though and it was predictable that that new man Britt Assombalonga would get his goals against a very weak Burton Albion (with Jackson Irvine suspended too) and he did, in a 2-0 win.
Boro will continue to be functional and probably won’t lose many games, but this league has a very competitive look about it this season and so they still need more. Here are two potential last-minute buys they can actually go for.
Ryan Shotton (Birmingham City)
Although all the right noises are made about keeping hold of their star man, Garry Monk and the board must be professional and think about life after Ben Gibson and I’m sure they do.
Given that they are in the Championship, they do not need (nor could they) to think about an expensive Premier League centre-back to replace him directly. Instead, a defender with potential and some knowledge of this league would be ideal and this is why they can target Shotton.
Last year was his proper breakthrough season in this league, playing 43 times for the Blues and doing very well in a struggling team. He is 28 now, which, for a centre-back, is not old, and in fact he is only just about to reach his peak.
Marcel Tisserand (Ingolstadt)
Another possible defensive arrival is that of French-born Congo international Tisserand, plying his trade currently in Germany.
He has a good grounding in the game, having played for Monaco from his early years, and was a regular in the Bundesliga last year, playing 28 times for Ingolstadt. They were unfortunately relegated to the 2.Bundesliga and he may look for a way out, with the second tier of English football considered to be much stronger, with Boro having possibilities of being back in the Premier League in a year’s time.
Tisserand is maybe not the sort of player Boro fans had in mind, if only because most won’t have heard of him. But he is solid, reliable and brings vital experience with him for a player who is just 24.