Last summer, Middlesbrough completed a number of transfers, many of which were mightily close to being considered as the most jaw-dropping transfer of the window. But some heavyweight deals in the ilk of the world-record move of Pogba to Manchester United took a bit of attention away from Middlesbrough’s surprise additions. The likes of Negredo and Victor Valdes joined the club while a move for Subotic fell apart at the last minute. All this pointed to Boro’s determination and their target of setting up their tent in the top flight for the foreseeable future.
And Aitor Karanka chose a fast-track approach which involved getting established players who would be able to balance out the relative deficiencies the squad which got them the promotion. While they have looked good in parts, Boro are not anywhere close to being completely safe. They are very much a work in progress and by the looks of it till now, will be sporting a very different attacking unit in the 2nd half of the season.
They have already got Rudy Gestede and Patrick Bamford and if the latest reports are to be believed, will be making the biggest headline of this January transfer window. Aitor Karanka is supposedly very close to pulling off a real coup with the signing of PSG forward Jese Rodriguez on loan for the rest of the season.
Jese has been a peripheral figure in the French capital and ever since his big-money move from Real Madrid, there have been talks of the player being unsettled and Boro have seemingly sought to take advantage of that situation.
Karanka has been able to set up a team which has been commendable defensively but the balance which is so important has been missing. They have looked toothless in attack and their targeted area of strengthening, points to the fact that they are looking to fix the malaise before the end of this season. The likes of Gaston Ramirez are linked with an exit and their attack can very well have a new look about them.
Karanka knows the player from their days together at Real Madrid and knows the immense potential of Jese. He admits there will be a great deal of convincing to do to make the deal possible but the lift in morale and quality such a signing will give is unparalleled.
Jese has played in the Champions League and at 23, his best days are ahead of him. His pace will offer a different dimension to the Riversiders and along with Traore, the duo can from quite a deadly combination on the flanks. The Spaniard does not require large open spaces to exploit and is extremely effective in tight areas. A technical dribbler with a keen eye for his teammates, he’s equally as strong a passer as he is a finisher in front of goal.
The deal will be a major coup for the club and they will be working round the clock to ensure it goes through.
