Has Tommy Conway's move from Bristol City to Middlesbrough gone to plan so far? | OneFootball

The Scotland international made the switch to Teesside over the summer, but has Boro's deal for Conway gone to plan so far?

Middlesbrough secured the permanent signing of Tommy Conway from Bristol City in August, after a drawn out pursuit for the Scotland international that saw multiple Championship clubs rival Boro for his signature.

Hull City and Burnley were two of the sides who threatened to hijack Middlesbrough's move for Conway, but a deal understood to be worth around £4.5m was finally struck between Boro and the Robins in the final weeks of the summer transfer window.

Penning a four-year deal at the Riverside Stadium, the 22-year-old versatile forward is a player that Michael Carrick evidently believes can become a big part of Middlesbrough's future.

So, how is the Scot faring on Teesside so far? And has his Boro move been a success to this point? Football League World investigates...

Carrick is still figuring out Conway's role in Boro's squad

Versatility can be a blessing, but it can also be a disruptor in terms of cementing a role within a squad. In regard to Conway and Middlesbrough, both of those sentiments have perhaps rang true so far.

Carrick has an embarrassment of attacking riches at his disposal this season, with centre-forward Emmanuel Latte Lath being a player that Boro reportedly turned down a £20m approach from Ipswich Town for in the final hours of the transfer window.

So, being a striker by trade, Latte Lath's presence poses significant competition for Conway to lead the Boro line. However, the talented youngster is also a confident and comfortable operator in the number 10 role.

But competition is strong there too, with January signing Finn Azaz being a player that Carrick clearly loves, having always gone out of his way to accommodate a role for the former Aston Villa and Plymouth Argyle man in his squad.

Indeed, Conway has seen his first three Boro starts against Cardiff, Preston, and Sunderland respectively, come from the number 10 position. He would come off the bench to score vs Portsmouth, before bagging his second Middlesbrough goal against Preston.

Those had largely arisen from Riley McGree being injured, which forced Azaz to play out wide, thus opening the door for Conway to start in behind Lath.

However, Conway hasn't been seen since Boro's defeat to Sunderland on 21 September, which has halted his momentum just as he was beginning to cement his place in the starting XI.

Conway has been the most prolific of Middlesbrough's forwards so far

Taking their chances is proving to be a tough task for Middlesbrough's forwards so far this season, and has been the main character in the early chapters of Boro's 2024/25 campaign to date.

Latte Lath hasn't scored since the opening day, whilst the Teessiders have entered the current international break with Conway, Matt Clarke, and Hayden Hackney all tied for top scorer with two goals each respectively.

As such, despite seeing his first two Middlesbrough appearances coming from the bench before suffering an injury setback that has seen him miss the last three games, Conway is still Carrick's most prolific forward.

He could've probably had a few more too, with his huge chance against Sunderland being his most notable miss of the season so far.

As such, the start to his Middlesbrough career has perhaps not totally gone to plan, but at the same time, he's undoubtedly made a positive impact. None of Boro's attackers have found the net more than Conway has through the first nine games, but he is yet to carve out a defined role in Carrick's squad.

Is he a number 10? Is he a striker? That question will need to be answered after the international break. One thing is certain though, he hasn't made the switch to the Riverside to play a bit-part role.

Carrick and Boro fans will back Lath to play his way out of his dry spell in front of goal, but if his scoring famine continues for much longer, Conway could well be given an extended chance to stake his claim as the main man up-front this season.

But with Azaz yet to open his scoring account so far this term, he too could be in danger of losing his number 10 role to Conway on a full-time basis. Therefore, the Boro head coach will be desperate to get his summer recruit back from injury ASAP, as he looks to find a way to get his team firing.