Being a newcomer to the Premier League, Aitor Karanka has guided Middlesbrough pretty well at times this season. Their intact defending and surprising counter attacks have caught many teams off guard, which include the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City. It is only because of their inconsistency that they see themselves treading above the relegation zone at the moment.
Their recent loss to West Ham United is a clear indication of that. Although their defending didn’t look much shaky, it was their inefficacious attack that was at fault here. Karaka has brought in Patrick Bamford and Rudy Gestede this winter to sharpen his team at the attacking third, but they still seem to lack the right attitude under pressure situations, which make the difference.
Boro have scored only 18 goals this season, which is, of course, the lowest among all the teams. The second lowest are Hull City and Sunderland with 20 goals, who are dwelling at the relegation zone. If not for the crucial draws against bigger opponents, Boro could well have been one of those in the bottom three.
Although the likes of Gaston Ramirez, Cristian Stuani and Adama Traore have shown some spark at times, they have struggled to find consistency on a regular basis. Alvaro Negredo has managed to score only 5 goals in 21 appearances, which is extremely poor considering the big clubs he has played for.
To overburden the crisis, their best player, Gaston Ramirez, is linked with a move away to Leicester City in January and Karanka is apparently looking at replacements. And according to reports, he might just have found it in Bundesliga forward Oliver Burke.
Burke is living the extraordinary RB Leipzig dream in the German league now. The only Scottish player in Bundesliga at the moment, Leipzig bought him for 14 million pounds from Nottingham Forest. The 19-year-old was touted by many to be a great player and he hasn’t shown any such signs yet. The most expensive Scottish player has managed to start only once so far and has managed to net just once from 14 appearances.
Given his young age, getting game time is significant and he is said to be looking for a temporary move back to England seeking some game time under his belt. A huge frame compared to his age, Burke could easily outmuscle past most opponents in the Premier League and his unusual quickness with such a big frame makes him quite a player.
Middlesbrough four points and two positions above relegation zone now and they have crucial fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Everton in the next few weeks, where Karanka would need positive results to keep themselves away from the red zone. And a player like Burke could definitely ease their pressure.