As per one of the latest reports by TEAMtalk, Middlesbrough are keen to sign West Bromwich Albion’s versatile man, Chris Brunt, in the summer. Tony Pulis had worked with Brunt during his managerial spell at the Hawthorns and is well acquainted with what he is capable of and is thus looking forward to engineering a reunion with him.
Ever since Pulis was appointed by the Smoggies after Garry Monk was sacked, he has been able to churn out decent results with his troops. There is no denying that his incoming brought a lot of freshness into the club as they are very much in the contention of making it to the playoffs of the Championship. However, there are areas where Middlesbrough need to improvise on.
The Baggies have been timorous throughout the season in the Premier League and are seemingly likely to get doomed at the end of the season. They are expected to see a lot of their key players leaving the club in the summer for obvious reasons. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough’s promotion would help them in attracting some notable figures and even if they fail they get the uplift, they must leave no stone unturned to lure Brunt to the Riverside Stadium.
Brunt emerged through the youth ranks of Boro but couldn’t cement his place in their senior side. After a temporary loan move to Sheffield Wednesday, he made a permanent transfer to the ranks of the Owls and made a name for himself during his time there with his notable performances and consistency. In the summer of 2017, the Throstles signed him and he has proven to be a useful asset for his side.
The 33-year-old’s versatility is one of his strongest suits as he is capable of operating as a winger, as a central midfielder as well as a left-back. He might not be a flashy player but he is a clever reader of the game and does create goal scoring opportunities for his teammates at regular intervals. Besides, he is good with the set-pieces and is an astute crosser of the ball.
So far this season in the Premier League, Brunt has managed to notch 6 assists from 19 games. Further, he has made 1.4 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, 1.5 clearances and 0.2 blocks per game on an average. Considering his experience and know-how of English football, he would be a shrewd addition to the ranks of Pulis and would inject a lot of quality to his side.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
