Middlesbrough are keen to boast their chances of achieving promotion to the Premier League by signing one of the most prolific attackers in British football this season, according to reports.
Having finished fourth in the Championship last season, Boro have yet to find any consistency in the league. Michael Carrick’s side are currently sitting 12th in the table, having suffered a 3-1 defeat at home to Coventry City to kick-off 2024.
This result summed up Middlesbrough’s form this season as it followed a 2-1 away win over relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town. The North Yorkshire outfit have now lost more games than they’ve won in England’s second tier and currently boast a minus-one goal difference for their troubles.
If Carrick’s men are to replicate last season’s emphatic run to fourth after the Christmas period, the club will need to invest in January, particularly in the forward area as the side’s top goalscorer this season is £4 million summer signing Emmanuel Latte Lath with seven goals in 20 appearances.
According to HITC, the club are keeping tabs on Heart of Midlothian centre-forward Lawrence Shankland. The Scotland international has been in fine goalscoring form up north and is the leading goalscorer in the Scottish Premiership this season with 13 goals.
In all competitions, Shankland has been just as prolific, having bagged 18 goals in merely 28 matches which is two-and-a-half times more than Latte Lath across the 2023/24 campaign.
The outlet are also reporting that Middlesbrough face competition from Scottish giants Celtic, Championship rivals Southampton and Hull City and Premier League outfits Everton, Crystal Palace, Sheffield United and Burnley.
Furthermore, it has previously been reported by Edinburgh News that Hearts will hold out for around £3-4 million for the 28-year-old striker if they are to consider selling.
Writer’s View
This would be a sensational signing by Middlesbrough. Shankland would walk straight into Carrick’s team and could easily be the deciding factor between Boro finishing in the top six this season and not.
However, given the clubs that are in the running for the Scot, encouraging him to move to the Riverside Stadium will be difficult, particularly since clubs like Southampton and Hull have a much higher chance of returning to the Premier League this season.
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