5 Rav van den Berg replacements Middlesbrough must consider signing if he leaves | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at five central defenders Boro must consider signing should Rav van den Berg leave the club.

Middlesbrough look set to lose star central defender Rav van den Berg imminently.

After reports from Van den Berg's homeland of the Netherlands surfaced early this week of Feyenoord's interest in the 21-year-old, it's been stated that a deal is progressing.

However, a new report from Voetbal International has now revealed that his move to Feyenoord could possibly be on hold, after the expected sale of their defender David Hancko to Al Nassr has reportedly fallen through.

Boro look set to receive a chunky fee for the Dutch youth international, and they appear to be on the verge of getting some reinforcements at the back too, with a £3m deal for Hull City defender Alfie Jones almost complete.

TeessideLive, however, have stated that these two deals aren't connected, meaning Jones may not necessarily be a direct replacement for Van den Berg, and is perhaps a player the club were always planning on signing this summer regardless.

As such, Football League World takes a look at five players Middlesbrough should consider moving for to replace Van den Berg, should he indeed leave the Riverside Stadium this summer.

Chris Mepham

AFC Bournemouth

A name that will be familiar to Middlesbrough supporters thanks to his exploits with Sunderland last season, Chris Mepham has proven himself to be a quality Championship defender.

The 27-year-old Wales international joined the Black Cats on a season-long loan deal from Bournemouth last summer, and went on to make 38 regular season appearances for Regis Le Bris' side, as well as playing 82 minutes of the play-off final win over Sheffield United.

Having signed for the Cherries in January 2019 from Brentford, Mepham has racked up over 60 Premier League appearances and over 120 in the Championship, but has struggled to ever cement a starting role at the Vitality Stadium.

Therefore, with a potential 2026 World Cup squad to make, and now firmly in the prime of his career, regular game-time will surely be of the upmost importance to him now.

He's also entering the final year of his contract with Bournemouth in 25/26 too.

Teden Mengi

Luton Town

A player signed by new Boro boss Rob Edwards as part of Luton Town's Premier League preparations in 2023, Teden Mengi is undoubtedly one of the Hatters' best players.

“He’s a fantastic age and comes with great experience for a young player. He’s had an amazing education at Manchester United and he will help us in that outside centre-half position," is what Edwards had to say about him at the time of his Luton move.

“He’s a fantastic athlete, he’s aggressive, excellent in one-v-ones and uses the ball well."

However, after the club suffered relegation to League One last season, the England youth international looks sure to be on the move this summer, with Luton boss Matt Bloomfield admitting that there is interest in his services.

Still only 23, Mengi has all the potential to develop into a top central defender over the coming years, and Middlesbrough may never have a better chance to acquire his signature for a cheaper fee.

Luke Woolfenden

Ipswich Town

Having players who've been there and done it when it comes to winning promotion is always vital, and Luke Woolfenden is one of those players.

The 26-year-old played a leading role in Ipswich Town's memorable back-to-back promotion-winning campaigns of 22/23 and 23/24, making 41 league appearances in both of those seasons.

However, after making just 15 Premier League appearances last season, and with the Tractor Boys having signed Cedric Kipre this summer to add to a centre-back group that still includes the likes of Jacob Greaves and Dara O'Shea, Woolfenden may now find himself on the Portman Road fringes.

As such, he could be acquired for a relatively low fee, and so adding a player that has recent Championship promotion pedigree on his CV could be a real shrewd move for Boro to make.

Xavier Mbuyamba

FC Volendam

A central defender who has spent time in two of world football's biggest academy systems, Xavier Mbuyamba has really reignited his career in Dutch football.

The 23-year-old spent time with both Chelsea and Barcelona as a youngster, before eventually finding his way to FC Volendam in the summer of 2022.

Standing all of 6'5" tall, the Dutch defender has just recorded a superb campaign for Volendam in the Dutch second tier, making 34 league appearances on the way to an Eerste Divisie title win.

Mbuyamba was able to bag five goals and one assist last season too, and did previously enjoy another five-goal campaign for Volendam in 22/23. That, however, was in the Eredivisie.

Crucially for Middlesbrough, he could be available at an absolute bargain price this summer, as he is said to be unwilling to extend his contract with the club beyond next summer.

As such, it's understood that he may be available for as little as £435k.

Karim Sow

Lausanne

Middlesbrough have shown that they are not afraid of dipping into the European market to source talented young players.

They did so with Van den Berg as well as Emmanuel Latte Lath, who was signed by Boro as an Atalanta player, but fresh off the back of an excellent loan spell with Swiss side St. Gallen.

One player who is also making quite a bit of noise in Swiss football recently is 22-year-old defender, Karim Sow.

If Edwards wants to bring back a physical, no-nonsense style of defending in the Boro backline, then Sow's profile and his performances for Lausanne should get his juices flowing.

Standing at 6'6", Sow is very athletic for a player of his size, whilst his 100 percent dribble success rate in the Swiss top-flight last season highlights just how good and confident he is on the ball too.

With his contract set to expire next summer, Lausanne may be tempted to cash in on their star defender this summer, and Middlesbrough should see him as a player that they can develop into a superb central defender of the future.

Boro have really lacked the presence of a truly imposing figure such as Sow in the heart of their defence for some time, but the towering young starlet would certainly bring that with him to Teesside.