George Edmundson has performed well for Middlesbrough since joining on a season-long loan from Ipswich Town.
Middlesbrough were facing something of a crisis at centre-back in the early stages of the 2024/25 campaign.
After long spells out in the previous season, Dael Fry and Darragh Lenihan picked up fresh knocks that once again saw them sidelined.
This left Rav van den Berg and Matt Clarke as the only senior central defenders available to manager Michael Carrick.
Jonny Howson can and did fill in at the back for Boro but he then suffered an injury of his own against Leeds United.
In turn, the Teessiders made a late push to bring in defensive reinforcements, with Middlesbrough signing George Edmundson on loan from Ipswich Town on deadline day.
The 27-year-old was thrown straight into the starting line-up after Van den Berg picked up a knock versus Derby County in August and has not disappointed.
Middlesbrough transfer plan for George Edmundson
There is a case to be made that Edmundson was Middlesbrough’s signing of the summer.
He perhaps does not get the plaudits he deserves, especially when compared to other fresh faces like Ben Doak and Aidan Morris.
But barring the 2-0 defeat to Bristol City last month, the stopper has been pretty faultless following his move to the Riverside Stadium.
In turn, with Edmundson set to be a free agent at the end of 2024/25 and Carrick clearly happy with how he has performed so far, fans of the North East outfit may be wondering if a permanent transfer is on the cards.
Despite him playing well though, sources close to Boro News understand Middlesbrough will likely wait until the summer before deciding his future and there are, at present, no plans in place to do anything in January.
We have learned that, despite his form and his contract situation with Ipswich, it is unlikely the Englishman will have a long-term future at Boro.
If he does sign, Edmundson will more than likely be a fifth or sixth-choice centre-back.
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The future of Middlesbrough’s centre-backs
While there are no plans to sign Edmundson permanently right now, that could change in the future.
Van den Berg had Premier League transfer interest over the summer, which is likely to return in the upcoming windows given how well he is playing.
Dael Fry is now close to a comeback following a long lay-off and will likely begin competing for a starting berth once more in the coming months.
As for Lenihan, he is already 30 and out of contract in 2026. Given how little football he has played for Middlesbrough of late, his long-term future is also in doubt.
Should Van den Berg be sold and Leninhan continue struggling with injuries, Edmundson may become more of an attractive option to Middlesbrough but only time will tell.