Middlesbrough opinion: Boro should avoid signing Lucas Boye

According to Hartlepool Mail, Middlesbrough are currently weighing up a move for Argentinian winger Lucas Boye, with the report claiming that Boro manager Jonathan Woodgate is keen to add more firepower to his attacking ranks ahead of the upcoming season. 

Boye, who currently plies his trade with Torino in Serie A, spent the last season on loan at AEK Athens in the Greek top-flight and caught the eye with a few impressive displays, as AEK finished third in the Super League. 

The 23-year-old is currently under contract with Torino until the summer of 2021 but he might as well seek for a permanent move this summer, having spent the last couple of seasons on loan at Spanish side Celta Vigo and, most recently, AEK Athens.

A product of the widely revered River Plate academy in Argentina, Boye rose to prominence with his boyhood club and spent time on loan at Newell’s Old Boys before earning a move to Europe with Serie A outfit Torino in 2016, signing a four-year deal in the process. 

Boye, though, struggled to transform his promise into something meaningful in Europe, scoring only thrice in 33 appearances in all competitions in his first season at Torino. 

The 23-year-old slipped down a pecking order following his unimpressive debut campaign, and after failing to have much of an impact in the first half of the 2017-18 season, the Argentinian was loaned out to Celta Vigo. 

Boye, who has registered 3 goals and 3 assists in 47 appearances for Torino in all competitions, managed only 6 goals in 36 outings on his loan spell at AEK Athens.

Well, those numbers can hardly be termed as decent for an attacker and it is worth mentioning here that a drop down to a less competitive league, such as the Greek top-flight, after failing to impress in the Serie A and La Liga didn’t really help him rediscover his scoring form.

Boro, meanwhile, have already signed talented youngster Marcus Browne from West Ham to add tooth to their attack and the Teessiders are apparently looking to bolster their ranks even further before the deadline, with Lucas Boye now on their shortlist.

To put things into perspective, a tally of 6 goals in 36 games amounts to one in every six outings, so it’s not the kind of strike rate that is going to thrill the fans at the Riverside Stadium.

Lucas Boye might still be a talented individual with a lot of potential at the age of 23 but Boro would be better off looking at other alternatives in the market.  

Boro are yet to find a replacement for Stewart Downing, who departed the club upon the expiry of his contract earlier in the summer and, while the Teessiders have the likes of George Friend, Jonny Howson, as well as the young and dazzling Marcus Tavernier, in their ranks as wide options, Woodgate might want a bit more cover and competition in those areas of the squad. 

Boye, with his ability to play out wide on either flank and also up top as a forward, could be a good addition to the club’s attacking ranks, but his end product doesn’t seem up to the mark.

Moreover, he is likely to find it difficult to cope with the challenge of playing for a promotion-chasing club in a league as gruelling as the EFL Championship, having struggled to settle down at Torino in the Serie A and Celta Vigo in Spain. 

Conclusion

It is a no-brainer that Boro need to beef up their artillery with more wide options in their ranks ahead of the upcoming campaign but playing a gamble on Lucas Boye might backfire. 

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With that in mind, the Teessiders should look at some tried and tested alternatives to the Argentinian in a bid to bolster their attack.