Finally, after seven long years in the Championship, Middlesbrough secured their ticket to the Premier League they finished second in the Championship table four points adrift of Champions Burnley. The appointment of Aitor Karanka has proved to be one of the best decisions taken at the Riverside Stadium in recent years as under his tutelage the club performed consistently and missed out on Premier League qualification last year after losing to Norwich in the playoffs. This year, however, Boro qualified directly for the Premier League and would be making their much-awaited comeback in the Premiership.
With the new £3.2 billion deal in place, the club is almost guaranteed to experience a massive windfall in their finances and like every other team in the division they are also keen on adding some quality players to their squad, players who will not only secure Premier league survival but will aid the team in their push for a respectable finish and slowly stabilize the team so that they are able to replicate the old days where they were a team with some serious players and reputation.
The Boro midfield has got plenty of hardworking players of the Championship level with only Stewart Downing having considerable experience of playing in the top tier. In a bid to strengthen their midfield, the club has been linked with a move for Spurs midfielder Nabil Bentaleb.
Bentaleb would be a very good addition as he’s someone who has had experience of playing in the Premier League and is also a type of player Karanka would like to have in his setup. A hardworking player with the ability to take charge of the midfield and facilitate the quick transformations of being on the offensive right after a turnover, he would be an asset for the club and the manager.
Bentaleb is only 21 and has got a very good potential. The Algerian played 35 times for Spurs in 2014/15 but could manage only 11 last season. With the availability of a number of world class midfielders, Bentaleb would find it very difficult to get into the first team at White Hart Lane and a move to the Riverside Stadium would thus be a very exciting proposition for the player.
The current Spurs midfielder’s ability to play as a deep-lying midfielder able to shield the back four would also provide impetus to the 4-2-3-1 formation Karanka has used for his team largely over the last season to excellent effect. Bentaleb can be paired with new signing Martin de Roon and can form a formidable screen which will make Boro an even tougher unit to break down whilst providing the ability to switch to quick counters with their quality of passing. Thus, the player would be an ideal signing for Middlesbrough and the prospect of regular first team football would also help him to aid his progression in his career.
