Middlesbrough FC should consider potential Bristol City transfer agreement if worst happens with Ben Doak | OneFootball

The future of Liverpool loan ace Ben Doak remains unclear, meaning Middlesbrough should be looking at potential replacements

Middlesbrough's promotion bid certainly holds weight, but such efforts could be disrupted across what's shaping up to be a nervy January transfer window amid uncertainty surrounding the immediate futures of star attackers in Emmanuel Latte Lath and Ben Doak - the latter could be recalled by parent club Liverpool.

The North East outfit are currently competing for a finish inside the Championship's prized top-six positions come the end of the campaign, which would propel them to their second play-off contest in three seasons. Boro, who finished the previous campaign in eighth place, find themselves higher up in fifth position after 26 games of the current season, although automatic promotion already appears firmly out of reach.

Nonetheless, it's been a generally positive term on Teesside, with Boro establishing themselves as the Championship's most potent attacking side behind league leaders Leeds United.

That's in no small part due to the performances of Finn Azaz alongside Latte Lath and Doak, who have all combined excellently to give many a second-tier backline nightmares throughout 2024/25.

However, it remains unclear whether Doak will be seeing out the campaign's entirety at the Riverside Stadium and Middlesbrough must be targeting potential replacements accordingly. With that in mind, they should really look no further than Bristol City's Anis Mehmeti, who is enjoying a mightily-impressive season at Ashton Gate.

Ben Doak's Middlesbrough FC situation amid potential Liverpool recall

Middlesbrough turned heads when they completed the deadline day loan signing of Doak last summer, and the Liverpool prodigy has vindicated the hype tenfold this term.

Lively and direct down the right-hand side with pace to burn, the 19-year-old has tormented opposing full-backs for fun this term. Very few at this level can threaten to subdue his explosive speed and trickery when coming inside, and he's been a key creative outlet in Michael Carrick's side.

Doak has been among the finest wingers in the Championship this season and that's reflected accordingly in his stat-line, which, in his first season of consistent senior football, reads two goals and six assists coupled with the division's sixth-highest return of created chances with 41 and counting.

Those performances, though, have naturally earned admirers. Liverpool have reportedly set a £30 million asking price amid fresh interest from Bournemouth, having recently rejected bids by Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace.

The Premier League leaders are said to be satisfied with Doak's progress and the prospect of keeping him where he is until the end of the season, but every player ultimately has a price and Middlesbrough will be powerless to prevent any potential departure.

It's one to watch in the coming days and weeks, that's for sure. Equally, mind you, Middlesbrough's reaction could be intriguing and Carrick will surely need to dip back into the market to source a replacement if Doak is to return to Anfield ahead of a permanent exit.

Middlesbrough should try and sign Bristol City's Anis Mehmeti if Liverpool recall Ben Doak

Few can have any complaints with Doak's time on Teesside but the state of play is reflective of the nature of the beast when it comes to these sorts of loan deals - the parent clubs naturally hold all the chips, while the loan side has next to no say.

Middlesbrough were left to pick up the pieces when the likes of Cameron Archer, Ryan Giles and Aaron Ramsey returned to their parent clubs after orchestrating Middlesbrough's play-off charge in 21/22, so Carrick may well want to future-proof his side by striking a permanent agreement in any potential search for Doak's successor.

One player who certainly fits the bill is Mehmeti, and Carrick could do considerably worse than plotting a raid on the Robins.

The 24-year-old winger has been with Bristol City since January 2023, when he joined from Wycombe Wanderers, but he's stepped up to deliver consistent and quality displays this time around after eighteen months of mild adjustment to the Championship.

Only three players across the league - namely Borja Sainz, Josh Maja and Joel Piroe - have scored more open-play goals than Mehmeti, who, with nine strikes this term, has found the back of the net more times than he had in his previous season-and-a-half with the club.

The Albanian international's recently-refined end product supplements a promising and malleable skill-set. Mehmeti's quick feet and close control, particularly when boxed in and doubled up on by opposition teams, are two outstanding qualities of his game, which enable him to either evade challenges with ease or free up space for teammates.

He also has the raw speed and acceleration to break quick and lead transitions, offering a similar - if not quite so explosive - outlet as Doak. Mehmeti is comfortable on either flank and, having just turned 24, still has so much left to offer and would bring high potential resale value to a club with an impressive track record of developing younger talent in recent years.

The stumbling block, one could imagine, would be City's asking price. Given the aforementioned factors, the Robins would hardly be looking to accept an offer on the cheap, but Mehmeti's contract does expire next summer, and he will enter the final twelve months of that deal if an agreement isn't struck before the end of this season, which adds a sense of uncertainty to his long-term future at the club.

Boro, who could yet receive a considerable cash influx if Latte Lath is sold this month, should be looking to capitalise on that in the event of an early return to Merseyside for Doak, and the blow of losing the Scotsman would be softened with the arrival of Mehmeti.