Latest reports in England are claiming that Championship bottom dwellers Birmingham City are interested in signing last season’s playoff candidates Middlesbrough’s winger Marvin Johnson. The 27-year-old attacking player is supposed to be surplus to requirements at the Riverside stadium.
Johnson joined the club last summer on the deadline day when former Boro manager Garry Monk brought him in from Oxford. He signed a three-year deal at the club for a reported fee of £2.5m. The player had a good start to life at the club under Monk but things began to unravel after Monk’s departure.
Garry Monk was replaced by Tony Pulis and the new boss preferred to leave the winger on the bench rather than have him on the pitch. He ended up playing only 8 minutes under the new boss as his chances dried up rather rapidly. The situation worsened so much that Oxford tried to take back their former player in the January transfer window but a deal never materialized.
Boro had a good time in the league this season making it to the playoffs but ended up losing in the knockouts. They finished in the top six and will be looking to bolster their squad with more quality players this summer to make an attempt to return to the Premier League next season again.
This would mean that they should look to lose their fringe players in order to free up squad space and reduce the money on their payroll. It is never necessary for a club to have a large number of players. They should rather have quality players who can make a difference either by starting or coming off the bench. Since Johnson is not being elected for either, it would do the club good to move him on.
As for the player himself, he is reaching the peak of his career and the next few years will be the most crucial point of his football life. He will do the right thing to move on from Boro in favour of a club where he will get more time. It might be tough for him to leave a club who are doing so well but his personal career will take a considerable hit if he stays back at Boro.
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At Birmingham, he will get regular game time as they need reinforcements to avoid a repeat of the recently concluded season. The Blues have Jota and Jacques Maghoma as their senior wingers with Viv Solomon-Otabor as a backup. Moreover, at Birmingham, he will be returning to a club where he played his early football and that may help him rediscover his form.
