Good Job Garry Monk – Why This Loan Deal Is An Excellent Move For Middlesbrough

Why Loaning Julien De Sart Out Is A Good Move By Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough’s new boss Garry Monk has begun the club’s summer rebuild in earnest by allowing midfield player Julien de Sart to join Belgian outfit Zulte Waragem on loan.

The 22-year-old heads back to his homeland for the full season having joined Boro eighteen months ago from Standard Liege and made only three first team appearances for the Teessiders. De Sart trained with his new teammates at the weekend.

De Sart came to Boro with a big reputation but never really hit the heights at the Riverside. The midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan at Derby County in the Championship and at first, he impressed in his new surroundings. Following former Boro manager Steve McClaren’s sacking though, de Sart was used lesser at Pride Park as the season fizzled out.

De Sart hasn’t played for Middlesbrough since August 2016 when the side were beaten by Fulham at Craven Cottage in an EFL Cup tie. His loan move to Belgium doesn’t necessarily mean his time in England is over, but it can hardly be called a surprise.

The midfielder’s departure is the first transfer move at Rockliffe but it certainly won’t be the last over the coming weeks. Garry Monk is just getting to know his squad of players and is keen to get them back into training to further assess what he has at his disposal.

Wisely, the former Leeds manager sees letting go of those who will produce little or nothing for the cause as every bit as important as buying new talents.

On the off chance that de Sart performs brilliantly in Belgium and wishes to come back to England in a year’s time, letting him go on loan could prove very canny. Likewise, if he has a strong season and wishes to stay in his home country on a permanent basis, his fee can only go up as the year progresses, which at least means Boro can expect to get something back on a player who has been a real disappointment.

Whatever happens, Monk after having spent last season in the tumultuous environment at Leeds United, knows that having players around the club that are not good enough, not fit enough or not trying hard enough is very damaging to the overall club culture.