Gilchrist features: 3 perfect PL loan signings Middlesbrough should already be eyeing | OneFootball

Spurs starlet Will Lankshear has already been linked with a loan move to Middlesbrough this summer, with Premier League loans often being a staple of Championship success.

Middlesbrough have enjoyed large success when venturing into the top-flight loan market in recent seasons, with Boro's 2022/23 play-off side littered with them.

Cameron Archer, Ryan Giles and Aaron Ramsey all made significant impacts on Teesside, whilst Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz has shown that Boro had another top player amid their ranks.

And as FLW exclusively reported, Spurs academy prospect Will Lankshear could be the latest Premier League prospect heading for a temporary spell at the Riverside Stadium.

We take a look at three Premier League loan moves that Middlesbrough should already have their eye on ahead of the summer transfer window.

Will Lankshear

Tottenham Hotspur

Goals, goals and more goals; that's what England U19 international Lankshear has been all about during his time in Tottenham's academy side.

With over 20 goals in almost as many games for Spurs' youth side this season, the 19-year-old is showing all the hallmarks of a career that's destined for the top.

The youngster is on the fringes of the Spurs senior side, and a loan move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium appears likely this summer.

Middlesbrough could be an ideal landing spot for the young goalscorer, as learning behind Emmanuel Latte Lath would surely enhance his development, whilst also allowing him to play consistent minutes without the pressure of being the main man.

The spot of backup to Latte Lath looks wide open heading into pre-season, as fellow young striker Josh Coburn would be Lankshear's stiffest competition in the pecking order.

Alfie Gilchrist

Chelsea

Right-back is a problem position for Middlesbrough, even if Luke Ayling turns his temporary stay on Teesside into a permanent one this summer.

Ayling will be 33 by the time the new campaign rolls around, and despite an excellent showing in the red and white last season, there will be questions about his availability to play a full season as the starting option.

Meanwhile, Anfernee Dijksteel looks set to leave the club in the summer window, whilst Tommy Smith will be returning as a 32-year-old fresh off the back of an Achilles injury that sidelined him for the majority of the season.

Therefore, 20-year-old Chelsea product Alfie Gilchrist could prove to be a highly shrewd addition for Middlesbrough.

Having made double-figure Premier League appearances for Chelsea this season - including him finding the net in a 6-0 win over Everton - Gilchrist would be an intriguing addition should Boro add him to their ranks.

His availability to make a loan switch this summer will have also increased as Reece James makes his return from injury, a factor that undoubtedly meant Gilchrist became too valuable for Chelsea to give away last season.

Kasey McAteer

Leicester City

Creativity from the flanks was something Middlesbrough lacked under manager Michael Carrick last season, despite the best efforts of Isaiah Jones.

Samuel Silvera looks in need of a loan move away from Teesside this summer, and the long-term future of widemen Riley McGree and Marcus Forss appear uncertain.

Leicester City's Kasey McAteer looked a very tidy player when called upon by Enzo Maresca last season, but more often than not, he got lost in the attacking options the Foxes had at their disposal.

Six goals in 23 Championship appearances, with only 13 of those being starts - per FotMob - evidenced a 22-year-old with a clear ability to play at a high level in the second tier.

McAteer looks likely to once again get lost in Leicester's squad depth next season, and therefore a loan move away from the King Power Stadium should be a move welcomed by all parties.