One Middlesbrough player has excelled going forward this season and it’s not Finn Azaz.
Boro have had a mixed start to the 2024/25 Championship season under Michael Carrick.
Middlesbrough were predicted a top-two finish prior to the campaign officially getting underway.
However, after nine games of the season, the Teessiders have slipped down to ninth in the Championship table, two points adrift of the play-off places.
Middlesbrough lost 2-1 to Watford in their last outing prior to the international break, in part due to their continued issues at left-back.
While defensive frailties have cost the North East outfit in games against the likes of Preston North End, Stoke City, Portsmouth and the Hornets, Carrick’s men have done one thing very well so far this term.
As per Fbref, Middlesbrough have produced the most shot-creating actions in the Championship this season (279) and the most shot-creating actions per 90 (31).
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Ben Doak, not Finn Azaz, now Middlesbrough most creative outlet
Back in early September Middlesbrough star Finn Azaz led the Championship in three impressive statistics.
Azaz had recorded the most shots on target (nine), chances created (13) and total shots (17) of any Championship player at that point in the season.
However, the Irishman has now been overtaken in the chance-creating department by another Boro ace.
The man in question is Ben Doak, who joined the Teessiders on a season-loan loan from Liverpool on August 31st.
Doak is earning £15k-a-week while at Middlesbrough, making him one of the club’s highest-paid players in 2024/25.
That fee is seemingly worth it though as despite his limited outings as a Red, Opta have now revealed that the Scotsman has created 3.36 chances per 90 for his Middlesbrough teammates in the Championship this season – the highest figure of any player with five or more appearances.
Doak also ranks fourth in the competition for touches in the opposition’s box per 90 (9.07).
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Middlesbrough stance on Ben Doak should now be clear
Doak is expected to return to Liverpool at the conclusion of the 2024/25 season and will no doubt be hoping to battle it out for a starting berth under Arne Slot.
However, with the Premier League outfit having title aspirations and the pressure still on Slot to replicate the success Jurgen Klopp enjoyed at Anfield, Doak may find regular playing time hard to come by.
As a result, Middlesbrough should do everything in their power to try and sign the youngster to a permanent deal in 2025.
It would no doubt set the Teessdiers back a pretty penny but given Boro’s squad does not currently need too much improvement, barring at left-back, a large chuck of their transfer funds could be saved to try and pry Doak away from Liverpool.
Any deal would likely break Middlesbrough’s transfer record but it is clear Doak is already head and shoulders above any of his current teammates.