Christian Atsu looks set to face a contested January with Newcastle United – would he be a good fit for Middlesbrough?
The 28-year-old has been omitted from Steve Bruce’s Premier League side this season.
Having made just one EFL Cup appearance, Atsu looks set to offloaded next month, with one report earlier in the season claiming that the Ghanaian could be available for as little as £1.5million.
Formerly of the likes of Rio Ave, Porto, Vitesse, Everton and Malaga, Atsu is a longstanding international with Ghana and is now in his fifth season at Newcastle.
He’s made over 100 Premier League appearances for the club but this time round, Bruce has favoured other names on the wing and it’s cast huge uncertainty over Atsu’s future at the club.
With his contract out next summer, Newcastle could well be ready to take a ‘cut-price’ deal for Atsu who was linked with Nottingham Forest earlier in the season.
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Middlesbrough have this season emerged as play-off contenders under Neil Warnock.
The veteran gaffer had steered Boro away from relegation last season and is now vying for his fourth Championship promotion.
Having won their last three outings, Boro sit in 8th-place of the table.
They’re proving defensively shrewd under Warnock but Boro aren’t scoring enough goals to break into, and stay in the top-six.
Yannick Bolasie was a summer target of Warnock’s, with interest in the Everton man has seemingly been reignited.
Atsu though might be a better fit than Bolasie.
Likely available for a lot less than Bolasie and likely requiring smaller wages to make the drop down to the Championship, Atsu makes for a prime candidate to give Middlesbrough that bit of edge in the final third.
Based just down the road as well, Atsu is a proven Premier League player and one who’s likely a point to prove after his omission this season.
A realistic move, Warnock should definitely consider this one going into next month.
