Middlesbrough are interested in signing Heerenveen winger Mitchell van Bergen and are now in advanced talks, according to Football Insider.
Middlesbrough have entered into talks with the player, who has reportedly turned down an contract offer at his current club. The Teessiders submitted a first bid which was rejected by Heerenveen, but they have since come back with a second and talks are in an advanced stage.
Where would he fit in at Middlesbrough?
van Bergen is able to play on either the left or the right and so offers Boro boss Neil Warnock a few different options.
The departures of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Marvin Johnson, Neeskens Kebano, Yannick Bolasie, and Hayden Coulson mean that there is certainly space out wide that needs filling.
At present, Middlesbrough have Duncan Watmore, Marcus Tavernier, Djed Spence, Isaiah Jones, Sammy Ameobi, and Marcus Browne at their disposal, but it would seem Warnock isn’t necessarily convinced.
How much would he cost Middlesbrough?
Although no figure has been reported as such, Football Insider confirmed it would be a seven-figure sum.
After Middlesbrough got rid of high earners such as Britt Assombalonga and Ashley Fletcher, it has freed up funds to splash out on players.
Thoughts
It is really positive to see this deal picking up speed so quickly. It shows how much Warnock is eyeing a deal for a winger and how much he values van Bergen and his ability.
Although not necessarily prolific in terms of goals and assists, he certainly has bags of potential. At just 21 years old he has already clocked up 119 Eredivise appearances, scoring 16 goals and registering a further 13 assists during that time.
He also has experience playing in the Europa League with previous club Vitesse Arnhem and he is a Netherlands youth international, playing for both the U17s and U19s sides.