Middlesbrough defender Rav van den Berg has been linked with a move away from the Riverside Stadium in recent weeks but one journalist believes the club should hold out for an eight-figure sum.
Van den Berg came through the academy at Dutch outfit PEC Zwolle and was a key member of the squad last season as the club earned promotion back to the Eredivisie under Dick Schreuder. His form in The Netherlands garnered interest from Boro who paid an undisclosed fee to sign the teenager last summer.
The 19-year-old has been a regular in Michael Carrick’s first-team in what has been a rather turbulent campaign for the club, having flirted with the relegation zone, the playoff places and mid-table all in the same season.
The Dutchman has made 34 appearances in all competitions under the Manchester United legend, scoring his first and only goal for the club in a 4-0 win against Preston North End back in September.
Rav van den Berg has missed 10 league matches this season, the results when he didnt play were…
✅W 30% 🟨D 20% 🟥L 50% https://t.co/z1iZLWKD1y
— BOROSTATS™ (@boroform) March 17, 2024
It was reported two weeks ago by HITC that a number of clubs in the Premier League are keeping tabs on his progress with Middlesbrough, including Everton, West Ham United, Brighton and Hove Albion, Brentford, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace.
Journalist Phil Spencer has weighed in on the transfer rumours on his YouTube channel, stating that Boro should hold out for between £10-12 million for the young, versatile defender if suitors come in for him this summer [quotes via Boro News]:
“For Middlesbrough, they need to know that they’ve got a proper asset on their hands here. This isn’t going to be a situation in my opinion, where they should be holding out for £10 million, £12 million, or something like that.
“He’s a player who, for me, could be a Champions League player in the next two or three years and so it’s crucial that Middlesbrough value him as such,” he continued.
“Make sure that if he does move on this summer, we are getting top dollar. For me, I’d also be including a sell-on clause as well because I could see him getting a move to a to,p top club in the years to come, and Middlesbrough don’t want to be missing out on a sizeable amount of money for that.”
Writer’s View
Middlesbrough have an excellent knack for developing players and getting big money for them, particularly since Carrick has been in charge for the past 18 months. The likes of Chuba Akpom and Morgan Rogers spring to mind.
Van den Berg is just another example of this. The teenager is arguably the best defender at the club already and has a bright future ahead. If Boro don’t get promoted by next season, keeping him around will be difficult but the club will certainly be able to get a huge figure for the player.
Deputy Head of Writing
