Middlesbrough are now in a race against the clock to earn promotion. And not winning the race could cost Steve Gibson millions.
Boro last won promotion to the Premier League in the 2015/16 season, finishing second in the Championship with Aitor Karanka.
The Teessiders have since earned top-six finishes on two occasions but have largely struggled in their hunt for promotion.
Current manager Michael Carrick has come closest, earning Middlesbrough a fourth-place finish during his first campaign at the Riverside Stadium.
This season has not started off quite as well for the ex-Manchester United midfielder, with his team sitting 12th in the Championship table.
Middlesbrough face Stoke City in a league clash at 3pm on September 28th and anything but a win would be a big blow for the Reds.
Opta predict Middlesbrough will finish sixth in the Championship in 2024/25, meaning they will have to win the play-offs to save Steve Gibson millions.
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Middlesbrough facing expensive race against clock with Rav van den Berg
Since Kieran Scott took over as Head of Football, Middlesbrough’s recruitment has improved tenfold.
One of, arguably the best, bits of business conducted on Teesside over the last few years was the signing of Rav van den Berg.
The 20-year-old has cemented himself as a key figure under Carrick and in his debut season, won Middlesbrough Player of the Year.
The centre-back plays at a level well beyond his years, with one pundit previously backing Van den Berg to play Champions League football.
Such impressive form has already seen the Dutchman catch the eye of clubs in the Premier League.
Fulham wanted to sign Van den Berg during the 2024 summer transfer window but Middlesbrough turned a move down.
But if Boro do not earn promotion this season, it could be very costly to Gibson as far as Van den Berg is concerned.
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Middlesbrough need promotion to get full Rav van den Berg value
The fact that Van den Berg is currently playing in the Championship makes him, possibly at the very most right now, a £20m player.
Middlesbrough wanted around £20-£25m for Emmanuel Latte Lath this summer and given Van den Berg is of similar quality and has more potential, he would likely fetch a similar fee in this division.
Given the ridiculous prices paid out in the Premier League these days, it is easy to see why someone like Van den Berg would be of interest to a top-flight club, who would essentially be getting a Premier League-quality player for half the value nearly.
While Boro fans would no doubt love to see the stopper stay at their club forever, they need to be realistic and realise that he is simply too good to spend his entire career at the Riverside.
But unless Middlesbrough get promoted this season, Gibson will likely be forced to sell Van den Berg for around that £20m mark in the summer whereas if the North East outfit were back in the top flight, it is not far-fetched to suggest he could earn the chairman over £30m.