Middlesbrough: Europa League club bid for midfielder

Middlesbrough midfielder Dan Barlaser is wanted by Turkish outfit Trabzonspor this summer.

Michael Carrick’s side finished four points shy of the top six last season and the former Manchester United midfielder put pen to paper on a new contract earlier this summer.

Boro have flirted with promotion in each of the last two seasons now, and a strong summer window will likely have them right in the mix once again.

Barlaser, 27, made 33 Championship appearances for Middlesbrough last season. He assisted two goals from the middle of the park in his first full campaign on Teesside.

However, he has admirers and Trabzonspor have reportedly made an approach to both Middlesbrough and the player himself over a potential transfer this summer. A bid has been tabled, but Boro’s intentions remain to be seen.

A consistent performer
The former Rotherham United man has plenty of Championship experience under his belt and at times he has proven to be a goal threat in centre mid.

His best season came in League One with the Millers where he registered ten goals and six assists in the third tier.

He hasn’t been at Boro for too long and the early signs this summer suggest he may not be there much longer either.

However, despite Trabzonspor’s Europa League football, Barlaser is playing football close to home currently and if Carrick can convince him Boro will push for Premier League, then that may be enough to keep him at the Riverside this summer.

Starting strong
In each of the last two seasons Middlesbrough have started slow and in each you could argue a stronger start would’ve seen them either finish inside the top two, or the top six.

Boro have a lot of work to do this summer and Carrick has already proven he is capable of getting his side to perform very well in the Championship.

They should be in contention this year, but whether they have enough to get over the line could well come down to the decisions they make over the next couple of months.