"Untapped potential" - Middlesbrough eyeing up move for Blackpool playmaker | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Middlesbrough are among the clubs eyeing a move for Blackpool loanee Karamoko Dembele this summer.

According to HITC, the Teesside outfit are one of several sides keeping tabs on the 21-year-old ahead of the transfer market opening this summer.

Dembele is currently on loan with the League One side from French club Stade Brestois for the remainder of the season, and he has earned a lot of praise for his performances as an attacking midfielder.

Boro have a number of attacking midfielders on their books, with Finn Azaz the latest to arrive at the Riverside Stadium in the January window.

Middlesbrough are aiming to fight for promotion to the Premier League this season, and currently sit seven points adrift of the top six going into the final eight fixtures.

But they will reportedly face competition from Championship rivals Leeds United and Leicester City in the race to sign the Blackpool forward.

Everton, West Ham and Nottingham Forest have all also been linked with Dembele, with his outings for the Tangerines impressive enough to have Premier League scouts watching.

Would Middlesbrough be a good destination for Karamoko Dembele?

Here we ask our FLW writers their verdict on whether the youngster would be a good potential signing for Carrick’s team...

Declan Harte

Dembele is a versatile figure capable of playing in midfield or in a more advanced playmaking or wide role.

Boro will face stiff competition in the race to sign the player, but he could be an exciting addition to Carrick’s squad.

Dembele has proven himself at League One level, and now looks ready to make the step up to the Championship.

But if a Premier League club makes a concrete offer then it will be difficult for Middlesbrough to compete for his signature.

Boro will most likely need to strengthen in midfield and attack this summer, so this could be a smart solution on a couple of fronts.

Carrick’s side needs an added goal threat, and Dembele has shown he can contribute in the final third with goals and assists - albeit at a lower level.

If he can replicate his third tier form in the Championship, then this could be a very smart move and at a reasonable cost as it’s unlikely he will be worth any more than £5 million or so.

Ben Wignall

The potential was there to see from an early age from when he was at Celtic, but now Dembele is actually living up to his earlier promise.

It may only be at League One level, but plenty of players have plied their trade at a young age in the third tier of English football and gone on to become even better, so there's no reason as to why Dembele can't move up a level next season.

Even though he's showed great promise in 2023-24, there's no guarantee that Brest will see him as a first-team player next season, and having picked him up for free in 2022, they could see the summer as the best chance to cash in and make their money.

A move to the Premier League would surely be too soon though for the playmaker, and the Championship looks to be the best potential move for Dembele as it will really show where his level is at.

Boro are good for signing young players with potential and developing them, with Rav van den Berg growing into himself very well since his switch from PEC Zwolle last summer - Michael Carrick could theoretically do a similar job with Dembele.