"Wasting away at Middlesbrough" - Midfielder tipped to leave the Riverside Stadium in January | OneFootball

We asked our Middlesbrough fan pundit what he expects to see in the January transfer window

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Dan Barlaser has been tipped to leave Middlesbrough in the January transfer window, with the midfielder struggling for regular game time at the Riverside Stadium.

The 27-year-old joined Boro from Rotherham United in January 2023, but his time at the club hasn't quite gone to plan, and he's played just four league games for Michael Carrick's side this season, starting just one of them.

Barlaser, who is Turkish-English, was linked with a move away from Boro in the summer, with Turkish Süper Lig outfit Trabzonspor reportedly keen, but a move never materialised, and he remained at the Riverside Stadium.

However, given his lack of minutes this season, it wouldn't be a surprise if Carrick looked to move the former Rotherham United man on in January, and it could be the right time to bring his two-year stay at the club to an end.

Dan Barlaser tipped for January exit as Boro's transfer plans outlined

We asked our Middlesbrough fan pundit, Jasper Hudson, what he expects Boro to do in January, and he believes that Barlaser will leave the club when the transfer window opens.

Speaking to Football League World, Jasper said: "One thing I can see happening in January is Dan Barlaser leaving.

“I think three players are always going to start ahead of him, Howson, Hackney and Morris, no matter what the scenario is, and we’re out of the Carabao Cup, so really, the only games he will get are off the bench if there’s an injury, and if there’s no injury one or two, cup games, but for a player of his ability he could be a solid Championship player for a mid-table or lower end club.

“He could definitely be a solid midfielder and at 27 it feels like he’s just wasting away at Middlesbrough, and they should potentially capitalise on any money for him, especially with younger players coming through. We’ve got Law McCabe, a young central midfielder, coming through, so January could be a good time to shift Barlaser, and I think he might be looking for the move as well, just for a bit more playing time.

“Another thing I can see happening is George McCormick being loaned out. He’s been in and around the first-team, and he’s made a few substitute appearances, and he looks like a good player.

“I think he’s quite well-perceived by Carrick and the staff and I think it could be good for him to get some game time and, hopefully, we’ll have Fry and Leninhan back from injury then, which would put him way down the pecking order in terms of senior centre-backs, so I think it would be good for him to have some consistent first-team playing experience.”

Dan Barlaser should be looking to leave Middlesbrough in January

Barlaser was a standout player in a poor Rotherham side, showing that he can be a good player at Championship level, but his time at Boro just hasn't gone as he'd have liked.

At 27, the midfielder will want to be playing regular football and starting every game for whoever he is playing for, and in hindsight, a move to Trabzonspor in the summer would have been good business for both Boro and Barlaser.

You'd have thought that he'd have plenty of interest from clubs both in the Championship and in Turkey, so offloading Barlaser makes sense for Boro in January.

With just 115 minutes of league football from 13 games this season, it's clear that he's not someone that features prominently in Carrick's plans going forward, and January is the perfect opportunity to part ways and move on.