Middlesbrough could look to repeat Morgan Rogers trick with summer deal for Wolves outcast | OneFootball

Middlesbrough's ability to develop talent should see them take a punt on Carlos Forbs this summer.

Middlesbrough endured a miserable campaign as they missed out on the play-offs, and a huge summer awaits for the club.

Firstly, a decision needs to be made on Michael Carrick's future, as there’s no denying that he has fallen short of expectations this season, although he will argue that injuries, and Emmanuel Latte Lath’s January sale, didn’t exactly help Boro’s promotion chances.

Once that is sorted, attention will quickly turn to addressing the squad, and changes are required.

Middlesbrough facing up to crucial summer window

Another year outside the Premier League brings its own problems for Boro, with the importance of parachute payments increasingly obvious in the modern game at this level.

Of course, the Teesside outfit doesn’t have that luxury, so player trading becomes even more significant. And, to their credit, Boro have done well on that front in recent years.

Latte Lath was a signing who was flipped for a big profit, with Morgan Rogers another in that category. There are other examples as well, with Marcus Tavernier, Djed Spence and Chuba Akpom having fetched decent sums over the past few years.

That has helped Boro develop a reputation as a good place to go for young players, and whilst the club want these individuals to take that next step to the Premier League with them, it is a sensible and promising strategy.

Carlos Forbs could get his career back on track with Middlesbrough

The deal for Rogers in particular showed Boro’s recruitment at its best.

Highly-rated as a youngster, Man City brought him in from West Brom, but a series of loan moves didn’t work out for the attacking midfielder until he was sold to Boro in 2023. Then, in the space of two years, Rogers has gone on to play for England, in the Champions League with Villa, and he is now valued at £90m.

That shows Boro have an ability to identify young talents, and one player they should be monitoring is Carlos Forbs.

The winger is contracted to Ajax, but he has spent this season with Wolves, although it has been a forgettable year for the player.

In total, he has managed just ten league appearances, with the majority from the bench, and that includes just two minutes since January.

A return to Amsterdam is inevitable in the summer as Wolves won’t take their option to buy, but it’s hard to see how he fits in there, particularly as they are on course to win the Eredivisie, which will bring Champions League football.

So, Forbs will be in an awkward situation, which is where Boro could step in.

The 21-year-old came through the Man City academy, where he starred. Forbs wasn’t just a part of their successful youth sides, he was a key player who won various individual accolades, which made him a man in demand.

Ajax forked out up to £17.3m to win the race for his signature, but his career has stalled in the past two years, as he hasn’t found consistent minutes at club level.

Yet, Forbs still gets selected for Portugal’s U21 side regularly, and even though he must refine areas of his game, the threat he possesses is obvious. He has blistering pace, he is direct, and he can get goals.

It appears to have been a case of too much too soon for the youngster at this stage of his career. The pressure of playing for Ajax is a challenge, and he then joined a Wolves side that battled relegation for months in a league that many consider to be the toughest on the planet.

So, it might be a case of taking one step back to kick-on, which makes Middlesbrough the perfect landing spot for Forbs.

Whether it’s a loan with an option, or a permanent deal if finances allow, it could be the perfect environment for Forbs to flourish.

And, if he can start delivering on the potential he had shown at City, it could be another shrewd addition for Middlesbrough