January was not the first time Middlesbrough made a quick profit thanks to Aston Villa: View | OneFootball

Middlesbrough did not have the most enjoyable Championship season compared to what people expected back in August.

Many had tipped Michael Carrick’s side to challenge for a place inside the top six once again after they came fourth in the table in 2023. However, a difficult summer transfer window saw key players depart without adequate replacements arriving.

One player that was signed that did make a positive impact was Morgan Rogers from Manchester City.

The winger had an underwhelming stint on loan at Blackpool in the previous campaign, and even had a slow start at the Riverside.

However, he went on to contribute two goals and six assists from 26 appearances in the league before departing again in January.

Aston Villa’s January swoop for Rogers

It was a surprise to see Rogers attract Premier League interest during the January window given he had just signed for Boro in the previous summer.

However, the Teesside outfit opted to cash in on the 21-year-old, selling him to Unai Emery’s side in a deal worth a reported £8 million, potentially rising to £16 million.

This was a big profit on the £1 million that Middlesbrough paid to sign Rogers from Man City, albeit a 40 percent sell-on clause was also included in that arrangement.

Given he spent just six months at the club, that was a nice piece of business for the Championship side.

That is the kind of profit that Boro will want to make on most transfers, even if the quick turnaround wasn’t typical.

This is the kind of money that can then be reinvested back into improving the first team squad, even if it means losing an important player.

The team missed Rogers through the second half of the term at times, especially seeing how he has gone from strength to strength in the Premier League with Villa.

But it was always going to be difficult to turn down such a fee given the rise in profit in such a short space of time.

Middlesbrough’s previous Aston Villa profit

This wasn’t the first time that Villa were able to provide Boro with a chance to make a tidy profit on one of their players in a short span of time.

Middlesbrough signed Adama Traore from Villa in 2016 in a deal believed to be in the region of £7 million ahead of the club’s return to the Premier League.

He was then sold to Wolves in the summer of 2018 after his £18 million release clause was triggered by the top flight club.

While the Teesside club went straight back down to the Championship in 2017, Traore still stood out as an exciting part of their side.

He helped them reach the play-offs in their first year back in the second tier, contributing five goals and 10 assists from 34 appearances (all stats from Fbref).

This led to his departure to Wolves, which provided Boro with a handsome profit.

These profits are needed so that money can be spent in the transfer market, and Rogers’ sale last January is potentially an indication of the kind of money that could be reinvested back into improving Carrick’s side this summer.