The future of Josh Coburn at Middlesbrough remains up in the air during the final month of the transfer window.
Josh Coburn joined Boro’s academy from local rivals Sunderland in July 2018 and has been in and out of the first-team squad in the following years.
The 21-year-old made his debut for Boro’s U18 side during the 2018/19 season, going on to sign on as a scholar the following campaign.
Coburn then penned his first professional contract in January 2021 and was called up to the first team by Neil Warnock at the back end of 2020/21.
The striker’s first senior outing for Middlesbrough came in a 2-1 win at Rotherham United, with his first goal for the Reds coming three days later in a 3-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.
However, Coburn has never really been able to hold down a regular starting berth at the Riverside.
Michael Carrick afforded the Englishman 21 Championship appearances in 2023/24, but he has completed 90 minutes in the league just once in 2024 so far.
Why Middlesbrough should sell Josh Coburn to Millwall
Coburn’s role as a fringe star for the North East outfit looks set to continue in 2024/25.
He featured for just four minutes in the club’s Championship opener versus Swansea City, once again playing second fiddle to Emmanuel Latte Lath.
Middlesbrough are expected to sign Tommy Conway from Bristol City this month as well, which would provide further striker competition for Coburn.
After Boro’s interest in Conway emerged, Millwall were linked with a move for Middlesbrough’s Coburn.
Now, talkSPORT pundit Phil Spencer has explained why Boro should let their academy star go, highlighting that Coburn simply isn’t the type of striker who works in Carrick’s system.
He said: “Josh Coburn, in my opinion, could be a very, very good player at Championship level.
“Josh Coburn is a player who, in my opinion, doesn’t quite fit into Michael Carrick’s way of playing.
“Michael Carrick likes his strikers to be fluid and he likes his number nine to be someone who will play on off the shoulder of defences and be a real pest, just closing them down, constantly being on their case and forcing them into errors.
“Josh Coburn has a lot of his own skills but I don’t really think that they are then. Coburn is a striker who likes to be in the box, he likes players to whip the ball in from the flanks, play a slightly more direct style of play.
“That doesn’t really happen under Michael Carrick and that means that we’re not really getting to see the best of Josh Coburn as it stands at the moment.”
Who will replace Josh Coburn at Middlesbrough
Coburn is clearly a quality striker with plenty of potential but Spencer is correct in the fact that, unfortunately, he doesn’t really work in the current Middlesbrough system.
A loan move this summer could work but unless Carrick leaves the Riverside, it is hard to see Coburn having much of a future at the club.
However, Middlesbrough already have plenty of options to replace the former Sunderland man.
Carrick only starts one centre-forward and Latte Lath, who netted 16 in 2023/24 and scored against Swansea, will be his primary option.
The potential arrival on Conway will also make replacing Coburn very easy but Boro have other options even if the City man does not sign.
Delano Burgzorg, a natural winger, impressed while being deployed as a centre-forward when on loan at Huddersfield Town last term.
Academy star Sonny Finch is also expected to see more senior minutes in 2024/25 and could be the third-choice striker behind Latte Lath and Conway/Burgzorg.