3 players who should follow Will Lankshear to Middlesbrough | OneFootball

Middlesbrough have made some early moves in the transfer market, and FLW looks at three more players they should target in the window.

After losing the play-off final last season, Middlesbrough will be hoping to make a few tweaks to their squad this summer to ensure they can go one better this time around.

Kim Hellberg has done a fine job at the Riverside Stadium since he was named as Rob Edwards’ successor, but the one criticism of Boro has been their failure to take chances.

Despite regularly dominating teams, Boro dropped far too many points due to that inability to kill off the opposition, and it ultimately cost them a place in the top two.

So, going into the window, attacking reinforcements were always going to be a priority, and whilst the deal for Kyle Joseph looks impressive, it’s the addition of Will Lankshear that has really caught the eye.

The Spurs striker has joined Boro in a move that could eventually cost £20m, and there will be an expectation that the 21-year-old is the focal point for Hellberg’s side.

But, if Boro are to go up, other areas need addressing in the window, and here we look at THREE players the Teesside outfit should be looking to sign…

Ashley Phillips

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It has been claimed that Boro are tracking the centre-back, and it would be another statement signing from Spurs for the club.

The 21-year-old has spent the past few years at Stoke on loan in the Championship, and whilst the Potters underwhelmed on the whole, Phillips has impressed, and he keeps getting better.

The defender is a real physical presence, and he is also assured on the ball. Plus, with Stoke also handing him the captain’s armband, it indicates he is a real leader and a good character, which is what Boro need after Dael Fry's exit.

So, even if Phillips commands a hefty fee, like Lankshear, it could be a brilliant bit of business for Middlesbrough, both in the short-term, as he is proven at this level, and the long-term, as he could net them a big profit down the line.

Otto Rosengren

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The Malmö midfielder is another name to have been linked with Middlesbrough, and it makes sense that Hellberg would want to tap into the Swedish market, as he knows it well.

At 23, Rosengren also fits the profile that Boro will target, but, with over 150 appearances in his career so far, including in Europe, he has good pedigree.

With Hayden Hackney having secured a move away, Boro will need to strengthen in the middle of the park, and even with Sebastian Berhalter poised to sign, they are arguably still at least one short.

Rosengren is capable of making an impact, and Hellberg could be the ideal coach for him to take his game to the next level. There is Bundesliga interest from Koln, so it wouldn’t be straightforward, but that shows it would be a coup for Boro.

Abdoulie Manneh

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Sticking with the Swedish league, Manneh is another player that Hellberg will be aware of, as he starred for Mjallby in their surprising top flight title win last season.

That form put the winger on the radar of a host of clubs in England, and it was thought that both Coventry and Birmingham were close to signing Manneh at points in the past.

For whatever reason, that didn’t materalise, with Manneh still at Mjallby, who are trying to progress to the Champions League league phase, but a move could still happen in this window.

The 21-year-old attacker would bring unpredictability and pace to Middlesbrough in the final third, which is something they lacked at times in the previous campaign.