According to Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas, Championship side Middlesbrough are set to sign Brazilian defender Neto Borges from French outfit Clermont Foot.
The 27-year-old suffered relegation with Clermont Foot last season, and with only one year remaining on his contract, Boro have swooped in for the left-back. The deal is reportedly worth £1.3 million, and the defender has passed his medical on Teesside.
Borges made his move to Europe in 2018, starting his journey at Swedish side Hammarby. He made just under 30 appearances in the Swedish first tier, before moving to Belgium to sign for KRC Genk. However, he failed to break into Genk’s first team, and experienced loan spells back in his native Brazil and Portugal before leaving Belgium permanently to join French outfit Clermont. The 27-year-old has made 64 appearances in two years in France, providing nine-goal contributions in the process.
The Brazilian is set to link up with Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough side. Carrick’s side is currently positioned 10th in the Championship after three games into the season, with one win, one draw, and one loss.
They have had a relatively quiet transfer window compared with other clubs, securing six new signings. This includes returning loanee Luke Ayling, along with Delano Burgzorg, Aidan Morris, Harley Hunt, Micah Hamilton, and Tommy Conway, all of whom have joined the squad at Riverside. The same number have departed, but it looks like Boro want to get more business done before the Friday 11 PM deadline.
Borges has not been a part of Clermont’s squad for the past two Ligue. 2 games, as he looks likely to be moving away from the Stade Gabriel-Montpied.
Writer’s View
Despite a disappointing season last season with his club being relegated to the second tier, his performances on an individual level have caught the eye of Middlesbrough. There’s no doubt that Carrick will be aiming for promotion this year, and more bodies in a league as brutal as the Championship will never go amiss for any side.
Whilst this signing does look to be a risk, a relatively cheap price tag for a player who has plenty of European experience is an offer Boro have decided not to miss. In terms of defensive numbers, Carrick’s side are looking rather short, especially in terms of injuries the side are experiencing. Except for Lukas Engel, the club does not have many natural left-sided defensive-minded players, so bringing Borges in as an understudy to Engel provides vital injury cover as well as strength in depth.
Be the first to comment