Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick has made the club’s transfer stance on one academy player clear this summer.
Michael Carrick arrived at the Riverside Stadium in 2022 and has been keen to give young players a chance during his time at the club.
Last season saw Middlesbrough academy starlet Law McCabe handed his first-team debut before penning a new contract last month.
Hayden Hackney, a former academy prospect, has also become a regular feature for Boro since the ex-Manchester United man stepped into the dugout.
Ahead of the 2024/25 Championship season, meanwhile, there are several youngsters who Middlesbrough could repeat the success of Hackney with.
One such talent is 18-year-old centre-forward, Sonny Finch, who joined the club’s academy at U14 level.
Michael Carrick looking to keep hold of Sonny Finch
Finch has so far made five senior appearances for Middlesbrough, including one in 2023/24.
However, last season saw the young striker sidelined for a long period due to injury, limiting him to just seven Premier League 2 appearances.
Finch has recovered and has been part of the North East outfit’s pre-season preparations this summer.
But as Finch is a striker and Boro already have Emmanuel Latte Lath and Josh Coburn competing for the number nine role, there were question marks over his future at Middlesbrough.
Now, however, Carrick has confirmed that he wants Finch to be kept at the club this summer, as per Teesside Live.
He said: “We can have him with us, and that’ll be good for him to learn. He’ll benefit from being part of the group.
“He’s been unlucky with injuries, so we’ll be trying to get him into that routine of getting through training sessions and playing in games.”
Sonny Finch can solve key Middlesbrough issue
As already mentioned, Finch is a natural striker and may struggle to earn regular minutes in that position.
However, the teenager could break into the first team in another attacking role during the coming campaign.
Marcus Forss is expected to miss Middlesbrough’s Championship opener versus Swansea City due to injury.
This means Boro’s only fit right-winger at present is Isaiah Jones, opening the door for Finch to compete for a place out wide.
Finch played 45 minutes on the right in a pre-season friendly versus Bolton Wanderers on July 20th and scored.