"I'd snap their hand off" - Middlesbrough hailed for "fantastic" Millwall deal | OneFootball

FLW's Boro fan pundit Phil Auton was left delighted with the fee his club received from Millwall for Josh Coburn.

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…

Millwall completed a deal to bring Middlesbrough striker Josh Coburn back to the club on a permanent deal, following his loan spell with the club last season.

The London club has reportedly broken the bank to ensure they got the deal over the line, splashing out a fee that could be worth up to £5m eventually, inclusive of the add-ons.

Coburn played 20 times for the Lions last term in the Championship, scoring five goals and clearly doing enough to convince Alex Neil to smash the club's transfer record to make him a permanent player.

At 22 years old, the striker has a long career ahead of him in the professional game. However, his career so far has been plagued with injuries and poor goalscoring rates, which could have some Millwall supporters concerned.

Middlesbrough fans left delighted with Josh Coburn's transfer fee

Following the news of Coburn's transfer switch to Millwall from Middlesbrough, Football League World spoke to resident Boro expert, Paul Auton, asking him what he thinks of the reported fee for the striker.

Auton responded: "I think it's a fantastic deal to get that kind of fee for someone of his age [and] with his background.

"He's had his fair share of injuries. He got injured when he was at Middlesbrough [in] his last season. He got injured for a big part [of the season] at Bristol Rovers and again at Millwall. Injuries are a concern for someone who is 21, 22 years old.

"His goal return is not fantastic. I think he notched about five for Millwall last year. They've got quite a reputation for buying some of our players. They've bought three or four from us directly or on frees over the last few years.

"I think it's great for us, getting a fee potentially in excess of £5m, I really do. I'd snap their hand off," he continued.

"I don't think there's any future for him with us. I think he's probably a top League One striker, bottom-end Championship striker, and I think he's not the type of player who will take it any further.

"If you've got any real ambitions, I think he is what he is - five to ten goals a season, injury-prone, tall, strong, can hold the ball up. Yeah, it's a great deal," Phil concluded.

Millwall will be hoping to prove Middlesbrough wrong with Coburn deal

On paper, the reported fee does look like an excellent deal for Boro, as the 22-year-old's goalscoring record and injury issues have certainly held back his progression at the Riverside Stadium.

However, Neil and Millwall will be hoping to have the last laugh, as they try to help shape him into a top striker, and ultimately turn a profit in the future.

It's a huge risk for the London-based club, especially with the type of fee involved. But, Coburn clearly showed enough promise and ability to warrant Millwall splashing out the money they did to bring him back permanently.

If the striker stays fit, he could go on to be a huge success at The Den, which is what all connected with the club will hope, as that would see them have the last laugh.