Exclusive: Chuba Akpom mentioned as Middlesbrough told to forget player exit | OneFootball

Speaking exclusively with FLW, Lee Hendrie has been discussing whether Boro should cash in on Rav van den Berg this summer.

Rav van den Berg has been one of the poster boys for Middlesbrough's new and improved transfer strategy since arriving at the Riverside Stadium in the summer of 2023.

The Dutch youth international signed from Eredivisie side PEC Zwolle in July 2023, having graduated from their academy system in 2021.

Under the tenures of head of football Kieran Scott and head coach Michael Carrick, Boro have largely been adopting a new recruitment philosophy centered around the identification, recruitment, development and selling on of young players.

For the most part, the 20-year-old defender has been one of Middlesbrough's biggest success stories in that regard, but a combination of injury woes and some weaker performances here and there has seen the young defender fail to really kick on from his excellent debut campaign on Teesside.

"I feel that" - Lee Hendrie makes Rav van den Berg, Middlesbrough transfer claim

Speaking exclusively with Football League World, we asked Sky Sports pundit and former player, Lee Hendrie: 'Do you think Middlesbrough should jump at the chance to cash in on Rav van den Berg this summer? He's not enjoyed as strong a season as last term.'

Hendrie said: "Do I think Boro should cash in on Rav van den Berg? I actually don't.

"I think that what happens with Middlesbrough is that it feels like they get so close most seasons, and that's down to recruitment of loan players and players that they bring in.

"That's where I feel that if they had that little bit of stability over seasons, keeping players rather than selling them on; they sold the likes of Chuba Akpom - there's a number of players that they've had that have obviously gone elsewhere.

"That's just down to the model and the way that they actually recruit. So, I think keeping their key, top players, I think if they can do that and build around players like him (Van den Berg), I do feel that he's one that I would be keeping for the future.

"You try and build a team around your best players."

Van den Berg won't be short of interest should Boro decide to cash in this summer - recent sales suggest they don't need to

Before putting pen to paper on his move to Middlesbrough, Van den Berg certainly wasn't short of options across European football.

Some of the game's biggest clubs, such as Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Juventus and Ajax, were all understood to have been keen on beating Middlesbrough to his signature.

More recently, both Spurs and Crystal Palace have both been reported as holding significant interest in the defender, as his potential to go right to the top of the game has been apparent in a number of his performances in a red and white shirt.

Therefore, should Boro let it be known that they are willing to cash in on the Dutchman this summer, then his availability will surely capture the attention of a number of big clubs with big wallets.

However, Middlesbrough may well feel as though they're in a financial position where they don't need to sell their most prized possessions, given they've recouped significant amounts of money with the sales of Emmanuel Latte Lath, Isaiah Jones and Matt Clarke during the recent winter transfer window alone.

Prior to that, they also landed big paydays on the likes of Morgan Rogers and Chuba Akpom, and coupled with the fact that Van den Berg is contracted with Boro until the summer of 2027, the Teessiders are also in a strong position in that regard too.

Therefore, do Middlesbrough bet on Van den Berg netting them an even larger fee in the future, or do they decide to bank their profits on him this summer? A fascinating summer awaits on that front.