Michael Carrick’s summer wishlist suggests he has identified Middlesbrough weakness: View | OneFootball

The previous summer transfer window was one of significant overhaul in the Boro playing squad, as Carrick grappled with the need to replace a considerable amount of loan players returning to parent squads, whilst making the right additions for the right amount of money.

Thankfully for the Boro boss, many of those new arrivals appear to have come good for the club, with players such as Emmanuel Latte Lath, Rav van den Berg and Finn Azaz looking like core pieces of Middlesbrough's foundation in the years to come.

But the Manchester United legend isn't content with hanging around in the Championship any longer, with promotion undoubtedly the aim on Teesside next season.

To do that, Carrick must add some quality additions to his squad, as all too often it was a case of round pegs in square holes for an injury-ravaged Middlesbrough squad last time out.

Carrick's wishlist points to key area of need

According to the Northern Echo, Middlesbrough will prioritise the signings of a central midfielder, a striker and a versatile forward who is comfortable operating as a number 10.

In a recent report from Teesside Live, Boro are believed to be 'down the line' in negotiations with a midfielder, the identity of whom is unclear at this stage.

But through this development and by looking at Boro's transfer wishlist, it's clear that Carrick believes addressing the forward areas of his side is where the key to promotion could lie.

With no mention of defensive reinforcements on that list, the Boro head coach may well feel confident in the options he has in his defensive unit, and instead will look to make his side more potent in attack this summer.

Despite the goals of Ivorian international Latte Lath, and the creative spark of Irish international Azaz, Boro did lack reliable and consistent creativity from their attacking players last season, in particular in wide areas.

Riley McGree and Marcus Forss will be fresh and fit again to begin the new season, and may act as new signings in that area themselves. As such, Carrick appears intent on improving the spine of his attacking department.

Ryan Giles could be signed as an attacker

As revealed in the Northern Echo at the beginning of June, Middlesbrough are set to rekindle their interest in former loan star Ryan Giles this summer, in what could throw doubt into the notion that Carrick is content with his defensive options.

Hull City are obligated to make their respective loan move for the left-sided player a permanent one from Luton Town this summer, for a reported £4m.

But it isn't clear at this stage whether new Tigers boss Tim Walter sees the 24-year-old as part of his plans at the MKM Stadium, and as such there is a plume of uncertainty surrounding his immediate future - something which Boro look keen to capitalise on.

The question marks surrounding where and how he would fit back into Carrick's current squad are centered around the fact that Boro already have two left-backs, Lukas Engel and Alex Bangura.

If Giles was to become a Middlesbrough player once again, it would seem unlikely that Carrick would carry three senior left-back options into his squad next season, three players who all will command regular playing time no less.

The simple answer to that conundrum would be to move one of Engel or Bangura on this summer, but the former is a player who continued to improve and feel more at home as last season progressed, and the latter is a player whom Carrick has already backed to play a key role next season.

What if the answer to this problem was that the Middlesbrough boss plans to play Giles in a more advanced role as a winger, thus keeping Engel and Bangura as the left-back options?

Playing further up the pitch is always something Giles has looked capable of doing, contributing a league-leading 11 assists for Boro in the 2022/23 season, and would strip back his defensive responsibilities - the aspect of his game that has been made evident is a weakness.