Middlesbrough have allowed their exciting, prolific hot-shot striker Calum Kavanagh to make a permanent move away from the Riverside.
The move was out of the blue and there was no suggestion that the Premier League Two hot-shot was going to be sold. In all honesty, a loan deal was always a possibility due to the lack of first team opportunities faced by the Irishman. But Kavanagh, son of former Boro player Graham, has been deemed surplus to requirements on Teesside, and as reported by The Gazette Live, has been sold to West Yorkshire club Bradford City.
Move may come as a surprise to Boro fans
This despite a very healthy scoring record and an apparent need from Boro for reinforcements at the top end of the pitch.
It may have been a surprise to Boro fans that he has been allowed to leave, but it does pose the question of whether the club have something in the works for a late deadline day move to bolster the squad in this area.
It is possible that Kavanagh has sought some guarantees regarding game time that Michael Carrick and his team are simply unable to meet moving forward. He is 20-years-old and the next period in his footballing education is important.
It is not too dissimilar to the situation that saw Morgan Rogers leave the Manchester City academy. He was realistically not going to get a first team chance at the Etihad and so he chose to make the move to a club that could offer senior experience and appearances. That worked out particularly well for all parties involved and Kavanagh will hope to be afforded the same fortune.
The diminutive forward has shown glimpses of his potential in 3 cameo appearances with the first team this season, and with injuries blighting Boro’s campaign, and regular starters Coburn and Latte Lath struggling for prolificacy, he perhaps thought he would get more of a run in the side. But impressing Carrick enough to start matches has proved a bridge too far.
Although Kavanagh has not featured heavily in the first team this season, it was not too long ago that there was a growing voice among fans claiming he should have more involvement. At the time Latte Lath was injured, Marcus Forss too, whilst Josh Coburn a little over-utilised. Matthew Hoppe was in the US on loan and so was unavailable.
Kavanagh will feel it is time for a change
In truth though, even when Carrick has not had a recognised number nine to call upon, he has preferred to play the likes of Sami Silvera and Sam Greenwood as makeshift false nine’s. So Kavanagh must have felt the writing was on the wall and that he needed to challenge himself at another club.
Whilst with Middlesbrough, Calum Kavanagh has played at various levels, including the under 18’s and the under 21’s, as well as 3 senior appearances. Scoring a total of 47 goals for Boro, the Republic of Ireland representative will be desperate to prove that he can be an asset for struggling League Two side Bradford.
He has tasted League Two football with loan spells at Harrogate Town and Newport County. He only managed 3 goals overall with those clubs mentioned, but will feel that he has matured more as a player since those loans.