Middlesbrough have finally conceded that midfielder Martin Payero has no future at the club as he nears a switch to Italian club Udinese.
A report in The Northern Echo suggests that a deal is being ‘finalised’ to take the Argentine to Italy.
The 24-year-old arrived on Teesside in 2021 with a lot of buzz and excitement surrounding the capture of his signature. We all know how Boro fans love a South American midfielder, and Payero, fresh from the Tokyo Olympics came in with a good reputation from Argentine club Banfield.
He took time to settle early in his Boro career, under then manager Neil Warnock, but he did have a short period where he seemed to find his feet, starting three games and scoring in the process. He suffered with injuries in that first season and never really found a way back into the side.
Failed to impress
His time at Middlesbrough was interrupted by three separate managers and a loan spell with Boca Juniors, so impressing enough to gain a regular spot has proved tough. Upon his return from Boca this summer, Boro fans-who have always shown their support for the midfielder-were excited to see whether Michael Carrick’s playing style might finally provide the platform for him to do well.
Sadly for Payero and Middlesbrough, it just did not happen. He was brought into the squad and given the chance to impress during pre-season, but he has found himself way down the pecking order and it feels like the best course of action for all parties is for the former Banfield man to move on.
Earlier in the week Michael Carrick had admitted that he was unsure of Payero’s future, and it was clear his opportunites were going to be limited, especially with impending arrivals before transfer deadline day.
The biggest hurdle seemed to be the style and culture of English football. The tempo was too much for him at times. Payero definitely had technical ability, but he was rarely able to show it and get that ability to translate onto the pitch.
It is not known at this point what the fee involved is for Udinese to take him, but it is a permanent move. Payero moved to Middlesbrough for a fee believed to be around £3m.