The £14m man enjoyed a profflic stint at Middlesbrough under Michael Carrick.
After several years of struggling, Steve Gibson opted to appoint Michael Carrick as Boro manager in October 2022.
Middlesbrough had a dismal start to the 2022/23 season under Chris Wilder, languishing in the bottom half with the potential threat of a relegation battle hanging over their heads.
Carrick had very limited experience in management prior to moving to the North East, with a few games as Manchester United’s caretaker boss his only time in the dugout.
However, much like when Middlesbrough appointed the inexperienced Aitor Karanka, Carrick has enjoyed a superb stint at the Riverside Stadium so far.
The 2023/24 campaign was somewhat disappointing but that was largely down to injury issues and Boro signing too many players in one transfer window after losing some big names.
The campaign prior, however, was arguably the Teessiders’ best since their relegation from the Premier League in 2017.
Former Middlesbrough star set for Premier League transfer
Middlesbrough finished fourth in the Championship that term before losing out to Coventry City in the play-off semi-finals.
A number of players excelled in that campaign. Chuba Akpom moved to Ajax in the summer of 2023 after scoring 28 league goals.
Middlesbrough transfer target Ryan Giles had a prolific loan spell with the club, assisting 11 in 45 matches.
And Cameron Archer, who was brought in on a temporary basis from Aston Villa, scored 11 and assisted six in 20 Championship outings.
The 22-year-old, who Carrick called ‘terrific’ as per Birmingham Live, moved to Sheffield United after his stint with Middlesbrough but following the Blades’ relegation, Aston Villa re-signed him for £16m, as per the Daily Echo.
However, The Athletic have since reported that Archer is set to move again, with Southampton in talks with Unai Emery’s side over a permanent transfer for the striker.
A deal is not complete just yet but the situation is understood to be advancing.
Why Middlesbrough did not sign Cameron Archer this summer
Boro fans would no doubt have loved to see the Villa man return to their club this summer.
A move would have made sense as well given a new striker is a priority for Middlesbrough in the current window.
So why did Middlesbrough not sign Archer? Well, reports earlier in the summer claimed the forward was not in Boro’s thinking because a permanent transfer would be out of their budget.
It is unknown how much Southampton are expected to sign Archer for but Villa will likely want somewhere close to the £16m they paid for him.
Boro News understands a loan move for Archer was possible for Middlesbrough but only if the Midlands outfit were willing to sanction one, which they, evidently, were not.
The Teessiders have found another striker in the current market though, as Tommy Conway is expected to link up with Carrick’s side soon.
The Bristol City striker scored 10 league goals last term and will prove serious competition for Emmanuel Latte Lath.