4 Middlesbrough transfer matters that Chris Wilder will have to deal with very soon | OneFootball

Middlesbrough may have fallen short of the Championship play-offs in 2021/22 but there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful for the Riverside outfit.

They’ll be keen to launch another promotion push next term, in what will be Chris Wilder’s first full season at the helm, and a strong summer will be key to their hopes of success.

Having taken charge midway through the 2021/22 campaign, Wilder will want to be proactive to ensure he can have a full and uninterrupted pre-season.

With that in mind, we’ve highlighted four Boro transfer matters that the manager will have to deal with very soon…

Marcus Tavernier’s future

Marcus Tavernier enjoyed an impressive season under Wilder but his exploits have drawn attention from the top flight.

Football League World exclusively revealed earlier this month that Brighton and Hove Albion, Southampton, Wolves, and Bournemouth are all interested in the 23-year-old ahead of the summer window.

With Tavernier set to enter the final 12 months of his Boro contract, Wilder will have a decision to make concerning his future very soon – whether to urge the club to stand strong or to green-light the sale if the right offer is there.

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The pursuit of Darragh Lenihan

Out-of-contract Blackburn Rovers centre-back Darragh Lenihan has been linked with a move to the Riverside.

According to a Patreon report from Alan Nixon, the defender has turned down offers of new terms from Rovers.

Wilder is said to want to make the 28-year-old an offer that would make them frontrunners to sign him amid interest from West Bromwich Albion and with the end of Lenihan’s Ewood Park contract fast approaching, it will soon be time to turning words into action.

Nottingham Forest have made it to the Championship play-off final, which means Djed Spence’s return to Boro will come at the end of May.

With Isaiah Jones already at the club and a host of Premier League clubs reportedly interested, it does seem as though Boro are going to look to cash in on him this summer.

But that’s a decision that Wilder and the club chiefs are going to have to make in the coming weeks.

The pursuit of a new goalkeeper

While Joe Lumley had his moments for Boro in 2021/22, signing a new goalkeeper needs to be a priority for the North East club and it seems they’re looking to move quickly to do that.

Both Newcastle United’s Karl Darlow and Leicester City’s Daniel Iversen are reportedly on their list of targets.

Wilder may have to make the call over who he wants as his number one very soon.