Reunion of Boro old boys
SOME OF NEXT SEASON’S NEW FACES AT THE RIVERSIDE WILL BE FAMILIAR ONES
THERE will be six new clubs competing with Middlesbrough in the Championship next season after relegation from the Premier League and promotion from League One was confirmed.
Southampton, Leicester City and Leeds United will all be dropping down a level while Plymouth Argyle, Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday will be coming up.
That brings reunions with some familiar faces, providing they don’t leave said clubs between now and the meetings with Boro.
While Boro will come up against plenty of former players across the course of the season, we thought we would take a look at the players specifically new for the upcoming campaign.
The 31-year-old midfielder is out of contract at Leeds this summer, five and a half years after leaving Boro to move to Elland Road.
Though he only managed 12 appearances due to injuries this season, the Whites are said to have an extension clause in his contract which reports suggest they will activate before discussing a new longer-term deal.
Prior to the move, Forshaw spent three years at Boro and made 103 appearances for the club. He played 29 games as Aitor Karamka’s side won promotion to the Premier League.
The striker had two separate spells at Boro, the first of which was on loan from Chelsea.
He scored 33 goals for the club before being sold to Leeds in the summer of 2018 when Tony Pulis’ side missed out in the play-offs.
Two seasons later he helped Leeds to the Premier League and scored 17 goals in his first season back in the top flight but with just six goals in his last two campaigns, it remains to be seen whether he will stay or go this summer.
Immediately after joining Manchester City, young winger Harrison joined Boro on loan in January 2018.
Struggling to displace Adama Traore and Stewart Downing in Pulis’s side, he made just four appearances before the end of the season.
That summer he joined Leeds, initially on loan, before making the move permanent and helping Marcelo Bielsa’s side to promotion.
A regular in the top flight since, a Boro reunion might not come amid reports a few Premier League clubs are interested.
Johnson spent four years at Boro, albeit one of which was spent out on loan at Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United.
After being released by Neil Warnock in the summer of 2021, the left-sided player has spent the last two years at Sheffield Wednesday. Now 32 but still a regular, the Owls confirmed they have offered him a new deal with his current one expiring this month.
After just one largely positive season at Boro, Morsy was surprisingly sold to Ipswich Town last summer.
He has proved popular there too, though, and captained the side to promotion, playing regularly under Kieran McKenna.
He made 36 appearances for Boro, albeit all but four of those coming during the Covid season with no supporters present.
Luongo spent a few months at Boro this season but failed to make a single appearance after signing a short-term deal as a free agent after the summer transfer window.
He had far more success at Ipswich, however, with the Tractor Boys losing none and drawing only two of the 15 games he played while conceding just four goals.
Luongo was offered a new contract at Portman Road after promotion was secured.