Middlesbrough are approaching a point where they will have to make decisions on the futures of a number of individuals.
With the contracts expiring in the summer, they will soon have to make decisions about which players to keep around at The Riverside Stadium.
One such player who falls into that category is Paddy McNair. The centre back sees his current deal expire at the end of this season.
There have therefore been questions about whether manager Michael Carrick should be looking to keep him in his Middlesbrough side beyond this season.
Now, it seems there is a belief among some that while McNair should be given a new contract by the club, but only on certain terms.
Journalist makes Paddy McNair contract claim
Speaking recently, McNair revealed that he is relaxed about his Middlesbrough future. The 28-year-old indicated he does not feel there is any rush to hold talks over a new deal.
Even so, that has not stopped others from giving their thoughts on whether he should stay at the club.
One of those is EFL journalist and ‘Boro fan Phil Spencer. He believes that McNair should be handed a new deal, but only on altered terms, that may not be as appealing as he might get elsewhere.
Taking to X to give his view on whether Middlesbrough should give a new contract to McNair, the reporter said:
“Paddy McNair should be given a new contract with Middlesbrough, but only at the right price. One of our highest-earners, it’s likely he’d need to take a hefty pay cut to fall in line with the new wage structure. Likely he could get more lucrative offers elsewhere.”
On the pitch, ‘Boro are next in action when they host Blackburn Rovers at The Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Paddy McNair contract suggestion sounds fair for Middlesbrough
It does seem as though this may be the right approach for the club to take over a new deal for McNair.
The centre back is still a useful player for Middlesbrough. He has shown that with his performances in some of these recent wins.
That ought to suggest he may be worth keeping at The Riverside Stadium beyond the end of this season.
However, it is worth noting that he has not been the most regular feature for the club during the campaign. McNair has appeared in just 20 of Middlesbrough’s 37 Championship games this season.
He may therefore need a deal that more accurately reflects that status in the team. As is suggested here, that may mean a paycut, given this is a time when EFL clubs are under pressure to be as cost-efficient as possible.
If that means that McNair feels he can get a more lucrative contract somewhere else, that may have to be a risk Middlesbrough have to take.