Obvious Middlesbrough pursuit of Wolves transfer agreement surely boosted by weekend developments: Opinion

Football League World

·7 February 2023

Obvious Middlesbrough pursuit of Wolves transfer agreement surely boosted by weekend developments: Opinion

Middlesbrough are, unsurprisingly, eager to bring Ryan Giles to the Riverside Stadium on a permanent basis.

Giles has been excellent on loan from Wolves, featuring in all 30 games in the Championship so far this season and playing a key role in helping Michael Carrick’s side into play-off contention with a glimmer of the top-two.

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The left-back has seven assists to his name, four of which have come following Carrick’s appointment towards the end of October.

A report from Teesside Live details the “hope” that lingers at the club that Giles’ move can be made permanent. It’s also claimed how “that remains uncertain” at this stage, presumably given how far away the summer is.

Giles, 23, will have a couple of years left on his contract at Molineux when the summer comes around. He’s not a target that’s beyond Boro financially and he’s actually very getable, particularly with Wolves looking like they might be on the rise again.

In the first-half of 2022/23, Wolves have struggled in the Premier League and, at points, have genuinely looked like relegation fodder. Yet, Julen Lopetegui is making his impact in the dugout felt. He’s picked up three wins in six league games, including Saturday’s 3-0 pasting of Liverpool.

That result has lifted Wolves onto 20 points and into 15th. All that’s whilst Southampton’s Nathan Jones experiment feels like unravelling, Bournemouth continue to struggle and Leeds United have been forced to sack Jesse Marsch; three clubs heading in the opposite direction.

Giles has it in him to be a Premier League player, yet where he fits at Wolves isn’t really clear. He’s only made one senior appearance for his parent-club and Rayan Ait-Nouri is a young option lodged ahead of him in the pecking order, whilst Hugo Bueno impresses too.

Looking at those weekend developments, Giles’ lack of opportunities at Wolves – amid eight different loan spells – and the fact that there’s such impressive competition for his place in the side back at Molineux, it surely fuels belief at Boro they can secure a permanent agreement as long as Wolves are still a top-flight side.

The impact Giles has had in 2022/23 is impressive and it’s obvious why Boro want to retain him. As per Wyscout, he has created 1.77 shot assists per 90 this season, 36% of his attempted crosses are accurate and he’s successful with 65.2% of his dribbles. He has excellent final third passing accuracy (54.7%) and his assists, as we mentioned at the top of the article, stand out above everything.

Who knows, Boro might offer Giles that Premier League promotion come the summer if they continue on their current trajectory under Carrick. They are one of the Championship’s form sides and, at the time of writing, look the only realistic threat to Sheffield United in second.

Whatever happens with that, though, they can feel confidence of signing Giles permanently, as long as Wolves can continue to rise. Something that feels far more likely post-Saturday.