Middlesbrough are reportedly looking to sign in demand Burnley winger Manuel Benson as the transfer deadline moves ever closer.
The in-demand wide man is attracting interest across the Championship with the Premier League club seemingly happy to agree to a loan deal for the 26-year-old.
Prolific season
Benson was bought from Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp in August of 2022 for around £3.4 million and made a huge contribution during Burnley’s automatic promotion campaign last season. He notched 14 goals and bagged 5 assists in all competitions as Vincent Kompany’s side stormed to Championship glory.
Michael Carrick will remember just how impressive Benson was in the games against his team and in particular the quickfire double that Benson scored in the 3-1 defeat suffered by Boro in December 2022.
Despite his impressive form last year, Benson has struggled to make an impact this season for Burnley, managing only 4 Premier League appearances for the Clarets in what has been a disappointing first half of the season.
There have been a number of loan inquiries for the Belgium Under 21 International in the past week, including the likes of Hull City, but nothing has materialised as of yet. But that may change as transfer journalist Alan Nixon has tweeted that Middlesbrough are among the clubs that could win the race to sign the right-sided attacker.
Another attacking midfielder for Boro
In response to a question regarding Boro’s transfer business, Nixon posted, ‘In the queue for a player just now…not heard who the lad has picked.’ When quizzed on the ‘lad’ in question, he confirmed that it was a player from Burnley.
It may come as a surprise to some Boro fans that they are in the hunt for a wide midfielder given their abundance of talent in wide attacking areas. They currently have Isaiah Jones, Marcus Forss, Riley McGree, Sam Greenwood, Sami Silvera and Finn Azaz who can play in wide positions.
With that said, the club did lose Morgan Rogers, and as Benson is predominantly a right winger, you could be forgiven for thinking that Boro are pre-empting that their extensive search for a striker could fail. That in turn could prompt the management team to move Marcus Forss from the right-hand side into the centre-forward spot.
It has to be said, Boro’s right side would be very, very strong if they had Isaiah Jones and Manuel Benson.
If Burnley accept a number of Championship offers, it could be left up to the player himself as to where he ends up.