Middlesbrough defender Rav van den Berg is a wanted man this summer, with Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur keeping tabs on the Dutchman, according to the latest reports.
Boro missed out on the play-offs this season, eventually finishing in eighth place, four points behind the top six. As a result, the Teesside outfit may find it difficult to keep hold of their key players once the transfer window reopens in less than three weeks.
Over the past twelve months, players who have impressed at the Riverside Stadium have moved on for large sums. Last season’s top goalscorer Chuba Akpom made the jump to Eredivisie side Ajax for £12 million while Morgan Rogers signed for Aston Villa back in January for a whopping £15 million.
This summer, Middlesbrough face a new challenge which will be to keep hold of 19-year-old central defender van den Berg. According to The Boot Room, Tottenham are showing interest in the PEC Zwolle academy product, who is also the brother of Liverpool centre-back Sepp van den Berg.
The outlet are claiming that, while Boro are not so keen to allow van den Berg to leave the club over the coming months, the board understands that they are not in a position to reject a sizeable offer for the youngster. This could potentially deal a major blow to Michael Carrick’s dreams of getting his side into the Premier League for the first time in almost a decade.
Journalist Phil Spencer previously reported that Middlesbrough could hold out for between £10-12 million as the Dutch defender still has three years remaining on his contract at the Riverside, having penned a four-year deal back in July.
Writer’s View
Van den Berg was an important player this season for Middlesbrough under Carrick. The teenager made 39 appearances in all competitions, including 34 in the Championship, whilst chipping in with one goal which came in a 4-0 win over Preston North End, the former temporary home of his brother Sepp.
Nevertheless, he is already one of the best defenders in England’s second tier so holding onto him past this summer will be increasingly difficult for Boro, particularly if Tottenham or any other interested party submits an eight-figure offer for the youngster.
