Why Romaine Sawyers will propel Middlesbrough to a PL promotion
Middlesbrough have been enjoying a pretty good season so far. They currently sit at 5th place with 43 points but have just 8 points between them and leaders Leeds United.
While their defensive record has been almost extraordinary, their attack has lacked an edge and they have struggled to find goals for extended periods during the season.
They have scored just 28 goals in 26 league matches so far, which is an extremely poor record for a team that hopes to battle for promotion until the end. While their defence has been their saving grace, keeping them afloat on top of the table, they must improve their attack to really put pressure on the top-4.
Middlesbrough must be looking at various options in the transfer market to try and find the key that unlocks this puzzle. So clearly full of talented players, Middlesbrough have what it takes to still go on and win the league but there must be some drastic changes and big purchases to make that a reality.
While they have looked at various avenues over the course of the winter, what they really need is someone who can play as the attacking midfielder in the middle, just behind the strikers. Britt Assombalonga and Jordan Hugill will greatly benefit from having a playmaker in there.
BT Sport have published a report suggesting that Middlesbrough have identified their playmaker target – 27-year-old Romaine Sawyers of Brentford. He has impressed massively since joining Brentford back in 2016.
He is a player who came through the West Brom academy and was loaned out to a variety of lower league clubs before eventually making the permanent switch to Walsall. After three seasons at Walsall, he joined current club Brentford where he has developed into a crucial part of the squad.
An excellent dribbler, Sawyers has a very keen eye for special passes. He prompts attackers in front of him to make tricky and effective runs as he is confident that he has the potential to find the pass. He is also a very good runner off the ball, which is showcased in his work rate all over the pitch.
Middlesbrough have been lacking in the forward department quite heavily and the worst part is that this is a very strong looking side and hence, their inability to score goals must be hurting not just the team but also the fans.
If Boro are to win promotion this term, they have to bring Sawyers in at the earliest possible opportunity.