Middlesbrough face the prospect of losing Rav van den Berg this week.
Rav van den Berg joined Middlesbrough in July 2023 from Dutch outfit PEC Zwolle.
He was only 19 when he signed for the Teessiders but the centre-back instantly became a key figure for Michael Carrick in the 2023/24 season.
Amid injury problems at right-back, the Boro boss opted to deploy the now 20-year-old on the right of a back four in the first half of the campaign.
Van den Berg performed very well in that role and once Luke Ayling was signed in January, the stopper was able to form an excellent partnership with Matt Clarke at the heart of Boro’s defence toward the end of 2023/24.
Boro lost just one of their final 12 Championship games last term and the Dutchman was a key reason why.
He won the Middlesbrough Player of the Year award in 2023/24 and a pundit has backed Van den Berg to play Champions League football in the future.
Michael Carrick responds to Fulham interest in Rav van den Berg
After cementing himself as one of Boro’s best players despite his age, the centre-back was bound to attract interest this summer.
R.S.C. Anderlecht were linked with Van den Berg back in June but that interest has since died down.
Now though, rumours have begun to circulate on Thursday that Premier League outfit Fulham want the defender.
Carrick has responded to those links in his pre-Cardiff City press conference on Thursday afternoon.
He said: “Listen if you’ve got good players, there’s always noise, there’s always rumours. Some are true but largely, doesn’t seem to be true.
“Concerns probably not the word but we are aware of what the possibilities can be given the position that we’re in.”
Middlesbrough cannot sell Rav van den Berg
Being a Championship side, Middlesbrough will be aware that there is not too much they can do if a top-flight team comes calling with a big offer for a player.
However, it is fair to say that if Boro were to lose Van den Berg so close to the deadline, it would almost certainly cost them any real chance at a promotion push this season.
The Netherlands native is comfortably one of the club’s top two-three players and is their best central defender.
And with Dael Fry, Darragh Lenihan and now George McCormick all out injured, the last thing Carrick needs is one less centre-back.
Middlesbrough are in talks to sign George Edmundson from Ipswich Town but he is simply not good enough to replace Van den Berg.