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10 goals, 10 assists – Middlesbrough should have signed this 29-year-old star in January as it could have boosted promotion hopes

Why Middlesbrough have missed a trick by not signing Lukas Jutkiewicz

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Middlesbrough were keen on signing Birmingham City striker Lukas Jutkiewicz in January. However, a move didn’t happen and the 29-year-old stayed with Birmingham City.

Lukas Jutkiewicz has been in good form this season, having already scored 10 goals and supplied as many assists whilst striking a deadly partnership with Che Adams. This productive return has made him one of the success stories of the season so far, attracting interest from Middlesbrough last month.

Middlesbrough have been in indifferent form as of late and are fifth in the table, just three points above sixth-placed Bristol City. But the league position doesn’t paint the entire picture from the Riverside this season.

Tony Pulis has made Middlesbrough play a plain, uninspiring style of football with no real width and creativity. It has been a difficult season for the forwards.

Even though Britt Assombalonga has scored nine goals in the league, expectations are very high from the Congolese for whom Boro broke their transfer record a couple of years ago.

To add some creativity and pace to his team’s attack, Pulis brought in Huddersfield Town winger Rajiv van La Parra on loan in January. But van La Parra’s pace on the flank and crossing abilities could turn out to be of no use for Middlesbrough as they don’t have a clinical striker to bury the chances.

That’s where the signing of Lukas Jutkiewicz would have been so crucial for Middlesbrough. A tall, strong centre-forward, devastating when playing with his back to goal, Jutkiewicz would have given Boro a focal point to their attack they have lacked this season.

The Southampton-born star excels at holding up the ball and bringing his teammates into the attack, a player Pulis would have loved working with.

As things stand, nobody has any idea about Middlesbrough achieving promotion to the Premier League but Pulis certainly could have done wonders with a player of Jutkiewicz’s quality in his ranks as the former Burnley man could have acted as a catalyst to Boro’s hopes of playing Premier League football next season.

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Given the fact that the Birmingham City striker has shone this season, Middlesbrough have definitely missed a big trick by not signing the 29-year-old in January.