$4m Middlesbrough, Aidan Morris transfer agreement could spell the end for 27-y/o: View | OneFootball

Middlesbrough will be hoping to challenge for promotion from the Championship next season.

Boro missed out on the play-offs this season after an inconsistent campaign but a run of just one defeat in the final 12 games has given supporters plenty of hope going into the summer.

Michael Carrick has already made one signing this summer, with defender Luke Ayling joining on a permanent basis from Leeds United after a successful loan spell, and he is set to secure another new addition.

According to The Athletic, Boro have agreed a fee in the region of $4 million (£3.14 million) to sign Columbus Crew midfielder Aidan Morris and he has left the United States Under-23 national team camp to travel to England to sort out the final details.

Morris is expected to play one final game for Columbus Crew before the deal is completed but he is keen to make the move to the Riverside Stadium having held a long-term ambition to play in Europe.

The 22-year-old joined Columbus Crew in January 2020, and he has scored seven goals and provided nine assists in 102 appearances for the club so far, including three goals and three assists in 19 games during the current MLS season.

Morris will need time to adapt to the Championship, but he is an exciting signing for Boro and it could spell bad news for fellow midfielder Dan Barlaser, who is facing an uncertain future at the club.

Dan Barlaser will be concerned about Aidan Morris' arrival at Middlesbrough

Barlaser made the move to the Riverside Stadium from Rotherham United last January for a fee of around £900,000 and he looked to be a smart addition for Boro.

The 27-year-old scored 10 goals and provided nine assists in 52 games for the Millers as they won promotion from League One in the 2021-22 campaign, and his strong form continued in the Championship the following season.

Barlaser was one of the most creative midfielders in the division during the first half of the season as he scored two goals and registered seven assists in 31 appearances, earning him a move to Boro in January.

With the Teessiders pushing for the play-offs, Barlaser seemed like a player that would enhance their promotion chances and while Carrick's men did reach the top six, the midfielder made just 11 appearances in the second half of the campaign as he struggled to break into the team ahead of Jonny Howson and Hayden Hackney.

Injuries to Hackney and Nottingham Forest loanee Lewis O'Brien meant that Barlaser featured more regularly this season but he failed to impress with his performances and he came in for criticism from Boro supporters at times.

In truth, some of the criticism levelled at Barlaser was unfair and it could be argued that he became a target for sections of the fanbase who were frustrated at their side's inconsistency but there is no doubt his performances were underwhelming.

There were question marks over Barlaser's future at the Riverside Stadium before the news about the signing of Morris and the fact that Boro are willing to pay $4 million for him suggests that he could have a big role to play next season.

Morris' imminent arrival will push Barlaser further down the pecking order and with Hackney set to return to fitness after missing much of the second half of the campaign with injury, it seems unlikely that the former Rotherham player will receive many minutes next season.

It cannot be ruled out that Boro could look to strengthen their midfield options further, particularly with captain Howson reaching the latter stages of his career and if Barlaser is not in Carrick's plans, the club may attempt to move him on.

Barlaser is a capable performer at Championship level and he is still a useful player for Boro to have in the squad but it has not worked out for him on Teesside so far and his exit this summer could be the right move for all parties.