According to Teesside Live, Middlesbrough winger Sam Folarin is ‘likely’ to leave the club on loan next season.
However, the report states that if Middlesbrough’s ultimate goal of achieving a top six finish fizzles out, Folarin could be given an opportunity in the first-team between now and the end of the season.
Having impressed in pre-season, Boro boss Neil Warnock was keen to give the youngster his debut. He played his first game in a Middlesbrough shirt in their Carabao Cup Second Round defeat to Barnsley back in September and was given his Championship debut two months later at home to Norwich City in a 1-0 loss.
He scored his first goal in the club’s FA Cup Third Round game against Brentford, prodding home from close range. He is yet to make another appearance in the first-team but he has been a regular fixture in the U23 system.
There were plans for Folarin to leave on loan in January. However, an injury scuppered any chance of this coming to fruition.
Middlesbrough will now likely look to loan out the 20-year-old again in the summer transfer window. He currently finds himself down the pecking order behind the likes of Yannick Bolasie, Neeskens Kebano, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Djed Spence, Marvin Johnson and Duncan Watmore.
However, with Bolasie and Kebano only on loan and returning to their parent clubs, and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Marvin Johnson out of contract in June, if Folarin impresses when given the opportunity he could play his way into Warnock’s plans for next season.
