Middlesbrough will not regret missing out on 2021 transfer target: View | OneFootball

Mitchell van Bergen was a major transfer target for Middlesbrough in 2021, but his exploits since would suggest Boro dodged a bullet.

Middlesbrough had reportedly agreed a deal to sign Heerenveen winger Mitchell van Bergen in the summer of 2021, but their move for the Dutchman was hijacked by Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims.

Boro were understood to have struck an agreement with the Eredivisie outfit, with just personal terms left to finalise with Van Bergen before the move would become official.

However, Reims threw their hat into the ring at the last minute, and a move to Ligue 1 was ultimately too big of an opportunity to turn down for the former Dutch youth international, and thus, Neil Warnock's side lost their man.

At the time, it felt like a significant blow to Middlesbrough, after the club had put a relegation near-miss 2019/20 campaign behind them with a 10th-placed finish in 2020/21, and being able to add Van Bergen to the side had the look of a really smart signing.

But three seasons later, and it is the Teessiders who will no doubt be feeling like they dodged a bullet that summer. Football League World investigates.

Van Bergen's hasn't enjoyed a great time of it since Boro snub

A move to Reims meant he'd be working under Will Still, first as an assistant and later as the full-time manager of the club.

Under Still's stewardship, the club set a new Ligue 1 record of 17 games unbeaten during the 2022/23 season. Still, unlike many of the players who improved under the former Sunderland managerial target, Van Bergen wasn't one of them.

After a debut season at the Stade Auguste-Delaune Stadium that saw him produce zero goals or assists in 20 Ligue 1 appearances, it was hoped that the former Vitesse wideman would only improve in his second season with the club.

That wasn't to be, however, as despite making a further eight appearances in the French top flight, Van Bergen endured another season that saw him fail to find the back of the net, with just one assist to his name.

This was a far cry from his form in the Netherlands, where the highly-rated young winger scored 17 times in 99 appearances in all competitions for Heerenveen over three seasons, whilst also registering a further nine assists during that period.

Failure to find his feet in France proved fatal for Van Bergen, as the 24-year-old was sold to Dutch side FC Twente last summer. So, would a fresh start back in his homeland get his career back on track?

Well, to this point, no. Indeed, Van Bergen continued to prove ineffective in the Eredivisie last season, after making 21 appearances with no goals and just one assist yet again.

That brings us to this summer, where we find a once highly promising career slipping ever further away. Van Bergen hasn't scored a competitive goal since snubbing a move to Middlesbrough, and has only provided three assists - per FotMob.

Boro would later find Van Bergen alternative

Boro couldn't find a Van Bergen alternative that summer after his move to Reims was confirmed mere days before the window slammed shut, but patience would eventually prove to be a virtue.

In the winter window that followed, Middlesbrough, now under the management of Chris Wilder, would use the money they would've otherwise spent on Van Bergen to invest in Australian international Riley McGree.

Unlike Van Bergen, McGree has been a creative force for Boro when he's been fit and available, with his six goals and three assists in 25 appearances last season followed on from another six-goal and three-assist campaign from 2022/23.

The 25-year-old penned a four-year contract extension this summer, and is set to play a key role in Michael Carrick's squad next season and beyond, as Boro fans will no doubt be thankful that events happened the way they did.