Neto Borges gave his first interview as a Middlesbrough player on Wednesday.
Middlesbrough completed signing number seven of the summer on Tuesday afternoon.
After losing Alex Bangura to injury in pre-season, Michael Carrick wanted to add another left-back to his squad.
And ahead of the meeting with Stoke City, Middlesbrough signed Neto Borges for £1.3m from Ligue 2 outfit Clermont Foot 63.
Borges turned down a Champions League club to join Boro, much to the relief of the club’s fans as left-back has been a serious problem area for them since Ryan Giles left.
Lukas Engel cost Middlesbrough four goals vs Stoke and should now be dropped for the meeting with Cardiff City on Saturday.
Borges was in attendance at the Riverside for the League Cup loss and has now sat down for his first Boro interview.
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Neto Borges excited to work with Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough
The Brazilian joins Boro on the back of a two-year stint in France where he was playing in Ligue 1 until Clermont’s relegation at the end of the 2023/24 season.
He made 64 appearances for the French outfit in all competitions, scoring three and assisting six.
Now, speaking to MFC.co.uk, Borges has revealed he is excited by the prospect of working with Carrick and that he is capable of playing in an offensive team.
He said: “I’ve had conversations with the coach as well and it really excites me to learn from him.
“For sure I’m ready to learn and be part of the family.
“The last experience I had, I was in defensive teams but I could score some goals as a defender.
“I have the qualities to fit in an offensive team as well so I’m expecting to show my qualities on the ball as well.”
Can Neto Borges replicate Ryan Giles at Middlesbrough
Borges arrives at the Riverside with the club’s left-back situation something of a shambles.
Ryan Giles had a sensational 2022/23 loan stint on Teesside, providing 11 assists in 45 league matches for the club.
However, since Giles’ departure, the replacements Carrick has brought in have struggled a fair bit.
Bangura is yet to get going in England due to his constant injury problems while Engel has been pretty poor unless he is full of confidence.
Even at his best, however, Engel does not possess anywhere close to the attacking threat of Giles.
Carrick demands his full-backs to get forward and create chances and the Boro boss will be desperate for Borges to do that once he makes his debut for the club.