Middlesbrough are set to battle it out with rivals Sunderland for Burnley winger Manuel Benson, according to journalist Alan Nixon on X.
Boro is in the market for a replacement for Morgan Rogers after his big-money move to Aston Villa and Nixon has claimed they are one of the clubs ‘in the queue’ for the Belgian. Earlier in the day, Football Insider claimed that Middlesbrough’s North East neighbours Sunderland were looking to strike a deal for the attacker having failed in their attempts to bring Manchester United’s Amad Diallo back to the Stadium of Light.
The same report claims that moves to Southampton and Leeds United fell through, stating that both sides had come to agreements with the player only to see the deal collapse.
Benson joined Vincent Kompany’s men from Royal Antwerp in a deal reportedly worth around £3.5 million in August 2022 and was a key member of the side who gained promotion back to the Premier League. The Belgian Under 21 international found the back of the net 12 times and added three more assists as the Clarets secured the Championship title.
Following promotion, Kompany delved extensively into the transfer market, bringing in players like Zeki Amdouni and Luca Koleosho for substantial fees, leading to Benson’s game time being significantly diminished. The Lokeren-born man has only featured on four occasions in the Premier League this season with a further EFL Cup appearance to add to that. Icelandic international Johann Berg Gudmundsson has been used by Kompany on the right of midfield.
Writer’s View
Middlesbrough has lost 16 goal involvements in the shape of Morgan Rogers and is desperate to plug the gap his move to Villa has left. Benson seemed to have a knack for contributing at important moments for Burnley last season on their way to the second-tier title.
Michael Carrick will still be looking at making a push for the playoff spots and a goal-scoring winger who has excelled in the Championship previously will be a great signing. A loan move would work for Burnley too, giving one of last season’s star men some much-needed minutes under his belt. With the current state of the Premier League table, it looks as if they will be relying on him to fire them back to the top division next season.
A primary school teacher turned writer, Tom has been part of The Real EFL for two years. He focuses on predictions, deep dives, and insightful content.
