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Middlesbrough set for transfer blow as update shared on Wolves player

Ryan Giles is poised to join Luton Town ahead of Middlesbrough from Wolves.

• Luton Town is confident of winning the race to sign Ryan Giles from Wolverhampton Wanderers for around £5m, which would give him his first shot at the Premier League.
•  Middlesbrough’s hopes of bringing Giles back to the team have been dashed, leaving Carrick to urgently address the left-back position and consider other transfer targets.
•  The failure to sign Giles will impact Middlesbrough’s budget and potentially redirect funds towards other areas of the team, as Carrick aims to strengthen the squad before the new season begins on August 5.
• Luton Town are ‘increasingly confident’ of winning the race to sign Ryan Giles from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
  

  Ryan Giles to leave Wolves

• The left-back starred for Middlesbrough on loan last season, registering 11 assists from left-back and becoming a key player under Michael Carrick. Therefore, Boro were desperate to bring Giles back to Teesside.

• Wolves wanted to assess Giles in pre-season, with Julen Lopetegui having a look at the player over the past few weeks. However, with Huge Bueno and Rayan Ait-Nouri also in the squad, it was going to be difficult for the 23-year-old to break in.

  That’s proven to be the case, as it was confirmed that Giles didn’t travel with the team to Portugal, as he instead remained in England to complete a move away.

  Luton to see off Boro to sign Ryan Giles

  The big problem for Middlesbrough was that they weren’t the only club keen on the left-sider, with Luton Town also in the hunt for his signature.

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  Not only could the Hatters offer Premier League football to Giles, following their play-off final

• win back in May, but he also has worked with boss Rob Edwards before.

  The Luton chief was with Wolves’ academy and U23 side before making the move into management, so he has seen Giles develop as a player, and he will know all about his qualities and character.

  So, it’s perhaps no surprise that Daily Mail reporter Tom Collomosse revealed that a move to Kenilworth Road is now on the cards for Giles.

  “Update on this: Luton increasingly confident of signing Giles for about £5m. Clubs at final stages of talks and should happen if all proceeds smoothly. Would be his first proper crack at the Premier League.”

  What does this mean for Middlesbrough?

  There’s no denying that this is a massive blow for Boro, as Giles was excellent for them last season, so he would’ve slotted in easily to the team and once again been key to the side moving forward.

  

  With Marc Bola also moving on this summer, it’s an area of the pitch that Carrick needs to address urgently, and you would presume they were holding back on other deals in the hope that Giles would move to the Riverside Stadium.

  Now, they at least know what’s happening, so it will allow the recruitment team to move on to other targets, and it’s something they will look to get sorted as quickly as possible.

  Middlesbrough summer transfer plans

  This will also impact the budget that Carrick has at his disposal. At £5m, Giles was going to be a fairly significant outlay for the club, so the fact he isn’t coming means the money can be put elsewhere.

  

  There are still doubts over some key players at the club, notably Chuba Akpom, and Carrick will want to add to the group ahead of the new season, as he looks to build on the fantastic job he did last time out.

  Boro begin their Championship campaign at home to Millwall on August 5.

  3 players Middlesbrough may look to move on within the next month

  Here, are three players that could head for the Middlesbrough exit door this summer

  

  Middlesbrough will be confident that they will be able to mount a Championship promotion push when the new campaign gets underway in a couple of weeks, following what was an impressive few months under Michael Carrick’s stewardship.

  Of course, the second tier is shaping up to be extremely competitive next season, with the likes of Leeds United, Leicester City, Southampton, Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday, all rejoining the division.

  However, the Teesside club certainly possess a squad that is capable of achieving something great during the upcoming campaign and will continue seeking reinforcements that will improve the levels of competition even further.

  For that to happen, there will have to be a few departures and the Boro boss will be fully assessing his current options before making a decision on the futures of certain individuals.

  Who could leave Middlesbrough between now and the end of the summer?

  Whilst we wait for this second tier season to get started, we take a look at three Middlesbrough players who may look to move on over the next month or so.

  Paddy McNair

  As detailed in a Football League World exclusive last month, Middlesbrough are open to letting McNair depart this summer, with the versatile 28-year-old possessing just one more year on his current contract at the Riverside.

  

  There are also no shortage of potential suitors for the central defender who can also provide a solid service as a holding midfielder, which makes a potential summer departure all the more likely.

  As revealed in the aforementioned exclusive, Premier League newcomers Luton Town are interested in a move for the Northern Ireland international.

  Since then, a report from TEAMtalk has suggested that the other two promoted clubs, Sheffield United and Burnley, are also keen on McNair, whilst Leicester City, Leeds United, Fulham and Bournemouth are all monitoring the defender’s situation.

  Chuba Akpom

  

  Chuba Akpom enjoyed a thoroughly impressive Championship campaign last time out and his consistently strong performances earned attention from the Premier League, during the 22/23 season and since it came to its conclusion.

  Crystal Palace, Wolves and Everton have all been linked with moves for the 27-year-old, whilst a Football League World exclusive from early last month suggested that Championship play-off winners Luton have also been keeping tabs on the frontman’s situation at the Riverside.

  It remains to be seen if Akpom will remain at Boro by the end of this summer window or if he will be tempted by an opportunity in the Premier League, with there seemingly being a few options for him

  Anfernee Dijksteel

  

  Last January, a Football League World exclusive revealed that Middlesbrough were open to offers for defender Anfernee Dijksteel, with the same report suggesting that the club’s stance was similar for Paddy McNair.

  No deal away came to fruition for the Boro defender, and subsequently, he played out the rest of the Championship campaign in the fringes at the Riverside, appearing just four times in the league after the FLW report surfaced.

  

  With Boro looking to strengthen, it remains to be seen what kind of stance the club hold in regard to Dijksteel’s future and whether he can secure a move away in an attempt to find regular game time once more.

   

   

  £22 million player could be a breakout Southampton star under Russell Martin next season: Opinion

  Kamaldeen Sulemana could become a key player for Russell Martin and Southampton next season.

  

  There has also been a managerial change at St. Mary’s this summer, with Ruben Selles departing for Reading and Southampton filling the vacated position with Swansea City’s Russell Martin.

  The 37-year-old has penned a three-year contract with Southampton, having most previously been in South Wales for two seasons.

  Southampton transfer dealings so far

  The Saints have so far signed two players to their first-team, with Martin reuniting with Ryan Manning, who arrived on a free transfer from Swansea. Shea Charles also joined the club from Manchester City for a reported initial fee of around £10.5 million, as per Sky Sports.

  

  In terms of departures, Martin’s side have seen Dan Ndlundlu join Bolton Wanderers, Kegs Chauke move to Burton Albion, Mislav Orsic depart for Turkish side Trabzonspor, and Ibrahima Diallo join Al-Duhail.

  Mohammed Elyounoussi, Theo Walcott, and Willy Caballero have all been released, as well as Mateusz Lis moving to Gozetepe in a temporary switch on loan.

  There are expected to be further departures and incomings before the end of the window, but some players will likely remain at St. Mary’s and Southampton will be hoping to get more out of them during 2023/24.

  Could Kamaldeen Sulemana be a key player for Southampton?

  

  Many players will benefit from relegation, by seeing more minutes, and also stepping down a level in quality will mean a number of

  Southampton’s squad thrive in the Championship.

  One of which could be Kamaldeen Sulemana, who was a player who struggled to take to the Premier League well, but could take the Championship by storm under Martin’s tutelage.

  Sulemana didn’t have a full campaign with the Saints, having signed for them during January, and the Ghanaian was unable to help the team avoid the drop in a meaningful way.

  

  The 21-year-old contributed two goals and one assist from 18 league appearances following his arrival from Ligue 1 side Rennes in a deal worth a reported fee of around £22 million.

  There has been little interest to speak of in Sulemana this summer, but Southampton are well protected, given that he is under contract until 2027, meaning the Saints have a lot of leverage in any negotiations for the player.

  Sulemana is still unrefined and raw as a player, but the Championship is the perfect place for him to develop right now, and he could be a star in a team expecting to dominate under Martin.

  The improvement at Swansea under Martin was a testament to his quality as a manager, and his attack-minded front-foot brand of football should make Sulemana a dominant player in the division.

  His pace, trickery, and explosiveness will be a nightmare for the majority of defenders at this level, and he also has the potential to improve in terms of his output in a significant way, too.

  The 21-year-old is an extremely dynamic and direct player, who loves to run at defenders and tie them in knots, and has the versatility to play a few positions for Martin as well. Sulemana can play as a winger, predominantly on the left side, but also as more of a natural forward.

  

  As a striker in a front two, he could be fantastic, peeling off the defender’s shoulder and using his blistering pace to get in behind, whilst also linking play in central areas and running laterally to manoeuvre opposition centre-backs into areas they feel less comfortable in.

  He could be one of the biggest beneficiaries in the Saints squad from relegation, and will prove his worth to Southampton fans next season, and live up to his price tag. Martin is an ideal coach to get the best out of him and further unlock some of the flashes of potential we have so far seen in the winger.