It is safe to say Middlesbrough had a very productive transfer window this summer. They made 10 signings in total. Included in those 10 signings were the likes of Britt Assombalonga. A proven Championship goal scorer who Boro signed for a club record fee of £15 million. Other signings included Premier League quality keeper Darren Randolph and Cyrus Christie who looks to be a great right back. Plus a host of other quality players that could and should propel Boro back into the Premier League.
As well as bringing in a lot of players, Boro also sold 12 players. Most notably, Martin De Roon who moved to Atlanta and Gaston Ramirez who moved to Sampdoria. However, with 12 players moving out, there are bound to be players who could have helped Middlesbrough’s promotion push this season. Here are the three.
Viktor Fischer
Viktor Fischer had a troubled time on Teesside before eventually moving to FC Mainz this summer. He made just 13 Premier League appearances for Boro after signing from Ajax. Fischer is a young talent with plenty of flair. However, he did not impress Boro boss at the time Aitor Karanka and thus he spent most of his time on the bench.
Despite spending so much time on the bench Fischer still managed three assists in 13 games. The same as Stewart Downing managed in 30 league games. Fischer should have stayed at Boro for a number of reasons. Firstly, he has flair, is good on the ball and dropping down a league, he could have caused Championship defenders some serious problems.
Another reason is that Middlesbrough are/were very under equipped in the left wing area. Middlesbrough signed Martin Braithwaite this summer who can play there. But he has been injured for most of the season. This has meant striker Rudy Gestede has been playing in that area.
It wasn’t until deadline day that Boro signed Marvin Johnson. A left winger from League One side, Oxford. But if Boro had kept Fischer they would have had no need to sign Johnson. They would also have had someone to cover for Braithwaite other than Gestede.
Fischer only spent a year at Boro and he was very underused in that time. Given his potential and the fact Boro went down a division, you would think Monk would have at least given him till January to prove himself.
Cristhian Stuani
Stuani was always something of an enigma during his time at Middlesbrough. He moved to Spanish side Girona this summer but Middlesbrough should have kept him.
One thing fans will certainly miss about Stuani is his ability to step up in big games. Two instances of this are first, in Middlesbrough’s 1-1 draw with Brighton at the end of the season in 2016. Stuani scored Boro’s only goal that day which was enough to see Boro promoted from the Championship. The second instance being last season in Boro’s second game of the season. Middlesbrough were away to rivals Sunderland. They won 2-1, both goals, including an absolute screamer, came from Cristhian Stuani.
Also, despite Stuani naturally being a striker he was mostly played as a right winger for Boro. Many fans saw this as a negative. However, if Boro had kept Stuani he would have been perfect for Monk’s new system. Monk likes his wide players to be able to change positions in the game. Patrick Bamford plays either right wing or CAM and Gestede/Braithwaite have played either left wing or striker. Stuani would have been perfect for this as he can play right wing or he can play up front if Monk doesn’t want to play with wingers.
It’s also worth mentioning that Stuani now plays as a striker for Girona and he scored two past Athletico Madrid in the opening game of the season. So, he could certainly have played up front for Boro.
Bernardo Espinosa
Espinosa like Stuani has also joined Spanish side Girona this summer. Like Fischer though, Espinosa was somewhat under used during his one season at Boro. He made just 11 Premier League appearances and spent much of the season on the bench.
Espinosa has mixed performances for Boro. One game he would be superb and the other he would make too many mistakes. However, like Fischer Espinosa could have benefited from Middlesbrough dropping down to the Championship. He would not have had to deal with so many world class players each week and could have been a real benefit to the Boro squad.
It is also worth noting that Middlesbrough have been short of centre backs all summer. They signed Ryan Shotton the day before deadline day. But before then Middlesbrough has just three centre backs. This was simply not enough and if Espinosa had been there he could have provided some much-needed cover.
Espinosa does have quality. He proved this in his debut against Manchester United. Boro did lose 2-1 but Espinosa had a very good game. Granted Espinosa wouldn’t be starting every game for Boro this season. But he would still be a good player to call upon when needed. Boro also probably wouldn’t have needed to sign Shotton if they had kept Bernardo.
