Middlesbrough should snub Leeds' Greenwood option in favour of Huddersfield Town raid: View | OneFootball

Sorba Thomas has been the shining light in a fairly dismal season for Huddersfield Town, and Middlesbrough should provide his exit route.

Huddersfield's five-year stay in the Championship is set to be brought to an end on the final day, with the club on the brink of returning to the third tier for the first time in over a decade.

One such player who in all likelihood will not embark on that journey with the Terriers is Welsh international Thomas.

The 24-year-old has proven yet again that he's a smart player at Championship level this season, and will undoubtedly have put clubs on high alert ahead of the summer window.

Therefore, Boro should reject the chance to sign Leeds loanee Sam Greenwood to a permanent deal, and make what would be a wiser investment in Thomas.

Sorba Thomas soars among Championship's creative best

In Emmanuel Latte Lath, Middlesbrough look to have gone a long way to replacing the goals of Chuba Akpom. What they don't yet appear to have replaced is creativity in wide areas - a cornerstone of Boro's success last season.

But in Thomas, he's consistently proved his ability to create, and the prospect of the Welshman linking up with Boro's Ivorian striker should have fans licking their lips.

Latte Lath thrives when getting on the end of crosses and through balls, so when you consider the fact that Thomas' 148 successful crosses are the most of any Championship player, with an average of 3.6 crosses per game also a league high per WhoScored.

In comparison, two of the top three assist leaders for Boro this season (Matt Crooks and Morgan Rogers) going into the final day are no longer at the club, with Luke Ayling's six being the current best.

Middlesbrough's best assist return from a natural winger this season has been Isaiah Jones, with three going into matchday 46.

Greenwood doesn't fit in Carrick's squad

Finn Azaz's end of season form has cemented his position as Boro's number 10 of the future, and this has meant Greenwood has been forced to play out of position in order to make the starting lineup on most occasions.

Originally brought in to play behind the centre forward, the 22-year-old is a player with potential, but looks to have become resigned to a utility role in the latter stages of the season with no obvious defined role in Carrick's squad.

A role that would reportedly cost Middlesbrough £1.5m in the summer, which could be complicated further as, should Leeds win promotion, the former England youth international would be in-line for a wage hike.

Despite his profile matching that of the type of player Boro are looking to bring to the Riverside - young, exciting, buy low, sell high etc. - head of football Kieran Scott won't sign a player unless it makes sense for a multitude of reasons.

Jack-of-all-trade players are always valuable assets to any successful Championship squad, but should this be Greenwood's continued role, one would expect Scott and his savvy recruitment team would be confident they could find a considerably cheaper alternative.

The numbers point Carrick in one direction

Data and statistics inform anyone who takes an interest in football greater than they've ever done before, and performance in numbers play a key role in the decisions of recruitment teams up and down the land.

In the case of working out what Middlesbrough should do this summer, they paint a clear picture as to who the better option out of Greenwood and Thomas respectively would be.

Speaking to his playmaking prowess even further, Thomas leads the Championship in chances created (123) and expected assists (13.3) as of 30/04/2024 - per FotMob.

Therefore, if Middlesbrough want to sharpen their cutting edge on the flanks, Thomas has shown there aren't many who've been as sharp in attack as him in the second tier this season.