A former Middlesbrough player has secured a move to the Championship this summer and Boro must learn from their decision to release the star.
Since the arrival of Kieran Scott as Head of Football, Middlesbrough have been smart in how they conduct their transfer business.
Rav van den Berg arrived in 2023 and despite being 19 at the time, went on to be named Middlesbrough Player of the Year for 2023/24.
Emmanuel Latte Lath was also brought in last summer, going on to score 16 in 30 Championship games.
The 2024 window has been positive so far as well, with four new signings already through the door.
Luke Ayling, Aidan Morris, and Delano Burgzorg should all strengthen the first-team squad, while Harley Hunt is expected to link up with the U21 team after his move from Swindon Town.
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Former Middlesbrough man Macaulay Langstaff joins Millwall
Middlesbrough have not always been wise in their transfer dealings though, with one mistake potentially set to come back and bite the club in 2024/25.
Stockton-born Macaulay Langstaff was part of the Boro academy from a young age but was released by the club.
Langstaff went on to play for various lower-league sides, with his most recent club, Notts County.
The striker had a prolific 2023/24 season, scoring 29 goals in 49 matches. This form earned him a move to one of Boro’s Championship rivals Millwall earlier this week.
Middlesbrough must avoid Langstaff mistake with Sonny Finch
A new striker remains a priority for Middlesbrough this summer but had they not released Langstaff, they may not have needed to sign another centre-forward in the current window.
While Langstaff joining a Championship rival is not great news for Boro, it should hopefully see them avoid a similar mistake with one of their current young forwards.
18-year-old Sonny Finch has excelled at U21 level for the North East outfit, scoring 14 and assisting four in 31 games.
Finch has travelled to Portugal this month for the club’s warm-weather training camp and will hopefully be handed a more prominent role at the Riverside Stadium in 2024/25.
The teenager clearly has plenty of potential but if Carrick does not start handing him more regular senior football soon, he may decide to follow in the footsteps of Longstaff and leave Middlesbrough.