Rob Edwards might have found solution to Middlesbrough transfer problem - £5m man is the answer | OneFootball

Boro may not need to put as much transfer emphasis on a specific area of the squad as previously thought.

Middlesbrough head coach Rob Edwards is still finding out which areas of his squad require the most attention in the transfer market this summer.

The Boro boss is still awaiting his first few signings in his new role, in what has been a frustrating summer in the eyes of many Teessiders on the recruitment front so far.

Of course, fans won't want to pressurise the club into making ill-informed decisions, but there is a growing sense of unease among the fanbase as to how long it's taking for the club to get new faces through the door.

Rob Edwards has Middlesbrough centre-forward transfer headache this summer

Middlesbrough are understood to have identified the centre-forward position as a key department that needs strengthening this summer.

It's not difficult to see why either, as despite the fact it was Boro's defensive issues that undoubtedly cost them more dearly than their attack, the cutting edge was severely blunted after the £22.5m February sale of Emmanuel Latte Lath.

Indeed, after his sale officially went through on 4 February, Middlesbrough only scored more than one goal in a game on five occasions.

One of the real bright sparks of the 24/25 season was Tommy Conway, who enjoyed a 13-goal debut campaign at the Riverside after his £4.5m switch from Bristol City last summer.

However, with Latte Lath gone and Josh Coburn flogged to Millwall, Edwards' centre-forward options behind Conway appear fairly thin.

Marcus Forss can operate as a striker, but he's struggled to stay injury-free for any extended period of time over the last couple of years, whilst Delano Burgzorg also has yet to prove he has that clinical finishing ability in front of goal.

Youngster Sonny Finch is still sniffing around the first-team picture, but he's failed to find the back of the net in the six competitive appearances he's made for Middlesbrough since being handed his debut in the 22/23 campaign.

Middlesbrough may have Morgan Whittaker answer to key transfer problem

As such, it's understandable why Boro will feel the addition of at least one new centre-forward this summer is of the upmost importance, especially considering the fact that Edwards looks likely to deploy a system that accommodates two strikers in the starting XI.

However, some recent pre-season evidence may well soften that need somewhat, and it comes in the form of Morgan Whittaker.

Boro signed the 24-year-old from Plymouth Argyle in January for an initial fee of £5m, with a further £2.5m in add-ons - a serious investment for the club to make.

Seen as a right-winger by trade, it was off that flank that Whittaker saw his opportunities come from in the second half of last season, but he failed to register his first goal for the club in 16 Championship appearances.

However, in Boro's first pre-season friendly on home soil v Mansfield Town on 19 July, Whittaker started the game alongside Conway is a strike partnership - and it worked to great effect.

Not only did he deliver a fantastic cross for Dael Fry to head home the opening goal from a corner, the former Argyle star finally got his first goal in red and white, after Rav van den Berg played him in down the right, before Whittaker gracefully moved into the penalty area and dispatched a left-footed finish into the far corner.

It was a brilliantly taken goal, and it provided solid evidence that he may well be more effective operating in this role.

He's shown that he can score goals at a very high level in the Championship from his time with Plymouth, as he scored 19 goals and provided a further eight assists in 46 second tier outings during the 23/24 season.

So, with Boro always being wary of staying on the right side of Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules, the potential for them to no longer need to splash out on a centre-forward this summer could enable to save some precious funds, or perhaps divert them to other areas of the squad.

Middlesbrough are understood to have held 'positive discussions' with free agent striker Danny Ings, and that deal - or a similar one - could make a lot of sense for Boro if Whittaker is indeed going to convert to a striking role moving forward.

Adding a player like Ings to complement a strike partnership of Conway and Whittaker could be a very smart move, and one that possibly saves the club from needing to go and spend big on another striker.

So, should Whittaker continue to operate as a striker and impress whilst doing so as pre-season rolls on, we may well see Middlesbrough's transfer plan of attack shift when it comes to the centre-forward position.