Middlesbrough have officially sealed the deal for Bristol City defender Aden Flint. The official announcement was made by the club in the evening as the deal is said to be worth £6m and Tony Pulis is not messing about in the transfer market as he earlier snapped up Paddy McNair.
Flint was an important player for Bristol City as he made 46 appearances for them in all competitions. The centre-back had some good success even in front of goal as he managed 9 goals. He uses his height to good effect in set-piece situations and the six foot six defender will certainly be a handy player for the Teessiders in the upcoming season.
Middlesbrough did go on to secure a place in the playoffs last season but were eliminated by Aston Villa via a narrow one-goal margin. The veteran manager will be aware that the fans would expect his side to go one step further in the upcoming season as they look to bounce back in the Premier League.
Flint has been considered as one of the best defenders in the Championship and many are of the opinion that the 28-year-old is good enough for the Premier League.
He has been plying his trade in the lower divisions of English football for quite some time now and has been with the Robins since 2013. Fans from Premier League will remember the defender’s performance in the Carabao Cup semi-final where he won the man of the match in the first leg against the much-fancied Manchester City.
The soon to be 29 year old has been a late bloomer of a sort as he signed his first professional contract with Swindon in 2011. Slowly he has gone on to establish himself and the Riverside Club will probably be the biggest opportunity of his career so far.
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Middlesbrough had one of the meanest defences in the Championship last season as they conceded 45 goals and the signing of Flint will certainly solidify that further. However, the signing could be looked as a replacement for Ben Gibson who is being linked with a move away from the club.
Gibson is an important player for Pulis as well as the club captain and he will be dreading to see his star defender leave in the summer. With some Premier League clubs in the race to sign him, it will be tough for the Teessiders to keep hold of their man.
