Middlesbrough are currently leading the race for Sunderland midfielder, Paddy McNair with a £5m transfer offer. The Black Cats have already swiped away a £3.5m bid from Brighton And Hove Albion but are also expecting a refurbished offer soon. Chris Hughton is adamant on getting his player along with the newly promoted Wolves also expressing interest.
Boro might just be forced to counter with a higher fee if the competition heats up in the coming week but Tony Pulis remains hopeful. McNair moved to the Stadium Of Light in August 2016 for a £5.5m transfer fee from Manchester United. The central midfielder forced the move out of Old Trafford after failing to break into the senior team under Jose Mourinho.
At the time, the Portuguese boss advised him to stay put at Manchester and to continue his development. But McNair chose to be the rebel and force a move out in search of greener pastures. His only senior involvement for the Red Devils was achieved under Louis Van Gaal and that too as a defender.
The Northern Ireland international does not associate himself with the defensive backline but rather a more creative head from the middle of the park. His talents are better suited to the holding midfield role or as a more offensive option.
Unfortunately for McNair, he has to now reconsider his future with the League One side. The 23-year-old might not have planned third division football during his Old Trafford rebellion and will heavily consider a move out of Wearside.
Middlesbrough will be able to offer him a happy escape but at what cost? Pulis already has Grant Leadbitter, Adam Clayton and Jonathan Hawson in the side but will surely miss the services of Mo Besic, who returned to Everton after a good six months at the Riverside.
The Bosnian played a key role in Boro’s second half 2017/18 campaign with talks currently ongoing of his permanent transfer from Everton. His future at the Goodison is tied to the hands of Marco Silva, the newly appointed Toffees boss.
McNair could fill in as a replacement for the Bosnian and take up a spot in Pulis’ midfield trio. He scored 5 times in the Championship last term in his 16 appearances but was mostly kept out of action due to a nagging knee injury.
The 23-year-old took a risk leaving the mighty United which unfortunately bore the wrong fruit.
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Now he has a second shot at rebuilding his career to top-flight level and seems to be a better fit at North Yorkshire anyway.
