Middlesbrough Opinion: Kamil Grosicki and Dwight Gayle would transform Boro into strong promotion contenders
According to Daily Star, Middlesbrough are eyeing up a sensational double swoop for Hull City winger Kamil Grosicki and Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle in the summer transfer window.
Gayle is now back at Tyneside after spending this past season on loan at West Brom in the Championship but the 28-year-old is expected to complete a permanent move elsewhere, with reports claiming that Boro are keen to sign him in a bid to challenge for promotion next term. (h/t Daily Star)
Hull City’s Kamil Grosicki was amongst the most productive wide players in the second-tier this season and the Teessiders are also looking to add the 30-year-old Polish veteran to their ranks this summer, the Daily Star understands.
Middlesbrough were very much in the hunt for a place in the promotion playoffs but they just didn’t do enough to make the cut, finishing 7th in the standings. Boro’s failed bid for promotion also marked the end of Tony Pulis’ reign at the Riverside Stadium and whoever takes over as the new manager would have plenty of issues to sort out ahead of the upcoming season.
The Teessiders managed only 49 goals in 46 Championship outings this past season, which was one of the worst scoring records in the entire division. Hence, it is pretty clear that they are in dire need of bolstering their forces with a prolific No.9 if they are to post a better challenge for promotion.
Britt Assombalonga has been the club’s top scorer for the past couple of seasons with 14 and 15 goals to his name, which is definitely good but not really eye-watering by Championship standards.
Assombalonga has been linked with a move away from Teesside this summer, with newly-promoted outfit Sheffield United keen to acquire the services of the Congolese international. (h/t Gazette Live)
Also, Boro need to find a replacement for veteran left-winger Stewart Downing, who is out of contract this summer. The 34-year-old looked out of sorts last season and he is unlikely to be offered fresh terms, whilst youngster Marcus Tavernier has also attracted plenty of interest from the Premier League.
To put things into perspective, there is an air of squad overhaul at the Riverside Stadium and it is not difficult to understand why Boro have lined up Kamil Grosicki and Dwight Gayle as potential targets this summer.
It doesn’t require a rocket scientist to figure out that they need more goals to challenge for promotion and both the aforementioned players could turn them into a more formidable attacking force next season.
Gayle bagged a staggering 24 goals in the Championship for West Brom this past season and his overall scoring record of 59 goals in 100 league outings in the Championship is a clear indication of the fact that the 28-year-old is one of the most lethal strikers in the second-tier.
He virtually fired the Baggies into the playoffs single-handedly this season and it is a no-brainer that a natural finisher like him would be an upgrade on Assombalonga.
Grosicki, on the other hand, was one of the standout performers for Hull City this term, accumulating an impressive 9 goals and 12 assists in 39 games in the Championship.
His arrival would add that much-needed pace, guile and cutting-edge to Boro’s attack from the wide areas and given that the Pole is a proven source of goals and assists in the second-tier, it won’t be much of a gamble for Middlesbrough to bring him in this summer.
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Both Grosicki and Gayle are reliable customers in the Championship and the acquisition of the duo would definitely transform Boro into strong promotion contenders next season, although they would need to shell out a fortune to get them on board this summer.
