After adding seven new players to Middlesbrough over the summer, Garry Monk doesn’t look to be stopping anytime soon. Middlesbrough have spent over £40 million in the transfer market already this year. They’ve even broken their transfer record to sign Britt Assombalonga for £15 million from Nottingham Forest.
However, Middlesbrough are still looking to strengthen their squad. Boro now look to be signing Lewis Baker from Chelsea on a two-year loan deal. Baker is only 22 years of age and has yet to break into Chelsea’s main team. But he has been a top player for Chelsea’s u23 team. He also enjoyed a very successful loan spell at Eredivisie side Vitesse.
The fact that Monk is looking to add another midfielder to his squad before the window shuts is hardly surprising. Middlesbrough have already sold Gaston Ramirez to Italian side Sampdoria. They have also lost Dutch midfielder, Martin De Roon. De Roon’s future has been widely speculated since Boro were relegated and he has now returned to Atlanta.
So, with two key midfielders gone, the signing of Lewis Baker could be huge for Boro. But what will he offer?
Firstly, on the subject of Ramirez, Baker could be the man to replace him. Baker is naturally a central midfielder. However, he can play in a central attacking midfield role. He has played 19 games as an out and out CAM in total. In those game, he managed five goals and four assists. Not the biggest tally but still respectable and proof that if called upon for Boro he could play in the CAM role.
Furthermore, Baker could also be the man to replace outgoing Martin De Roon. As mentioned above, Lewis Baker is naturally a central midfielder like De Roon. He has played 90 games as a CM, scoring 30 and assisting 17.
This is further proof Baker could be exactly what Monk needs. Because even if he does not play him in CAM, Baker would be a quality CM in the Championship. This will be the most likely position for him in Monk’s squad. Especially given how Monk has been lining Boro up recently. He has been starting Boro with three CMs and no CAM. Adam Clayton has been the sole CDM dropping back to centre back if needed. While Howson and De Roon have been the CMs taking on a more box to box role.
Lewis Baker would be perfect to take De Roon’s role as a box to box midfielder. He has racked up plenty of assists in his short career which shows he can pass and link up play. Something Boro struggled to do a bit at Wolves. He has also scored plenty of goals in his career which shows he can get into the box and contribute to the goal tally for the season. Something Middlesbrough’s centre mids will really need to do if Monk continues to play without an out and out CAM. It is also something the likes of Adam Clayton and Forshaw do not do a lot of. So, signing Baker will certainly help.
Furth more, should Clayton get injured or suspended which will happen this season given how many yellow cards he gets a season, Lewis Baker can even fill in for Clayton as a central defensive midfielder. The Chelsea man has played there 14 times in his career. He scored six goals and got three assists in those 14 games.
Baker is also an England U21 International. He played a key role in the squad that got to the semi-final of the U21 European Championships this year. But they were knocked out by Germany on penalties. Big surprise that one.
Baker has had very little experience in the Championship which may put some people off him. But last season he played 33 games in the Eredivisie for Vitesse. Therefore, he will not be lacking match sharpness.
Overall, a loan deal for Lewis Baker would be great for Boro. Because he is a potential replacement for Ramirez, a potential replacement for De Roon and he fits exactly what Garry Monk wants in his centre mids as he can get forward with the ball to either to set up the strikers or score goals himself.
