Middlesbrough: £6m Garry Monk signing continues to standout amongst clumsy transfer window | OneFootball

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Despite being 35-years-old, Middlesbrough club captain Jonny Howson continues to play a crucial role for Michael Carrick's side.

The ex-Leeds United and Norwich City man moved to the Riverside Stadium in the summer of 2017 for a fee of £6million, according to the Daily Mail.

He joined the summer after Boro had been relegated, and they were looking to make an immediate return to the Premier League under new boss Garry Monk.

The club made a number of big money signings to bounce back to the Premier League but ultimately fell short and a number of signings disappointed.

Boss Garry Monk was sacked in December after a disappointing start to the season and was replaced by Tony Pulis, who led the club to a 5th place finish where they reached the play-offs. However, Boro lost 1-0 on aggregate to Aston Villa and missed out on an immediate return to the top-flight.

Who did Boro sign in the 2017 summer transfer window?

Boro made a number of signings, both permanently and on loan, during the 2017 summer transfer window. With parachute payments in their pockets, Boro spent big to try and ensure they made a swift return to the Premier League, forking out on big names from within the Championship and from clubs on the continent.

Connor Roberts, Jack Harrison, Lewis Baker and Muhamed Besic were signed on loan from Swansea, Manchester City, Chelsea and Everton respectively, while further big-names signed on a permanent basis.

The likes of Cyrus Christie joined from Derby County for a fee of £2.5million, according to The Sun, while Brit Assombalonga joined from Nottingham Forest for an eye-watering £15million, say The Mirror.

West Ham duo Ashley Fletcher and Darren Randolph joined Boro for fees of £6.5million and £5million respectively according to ESPN and the Daily Star, while Danish striker Martin Braithwaite joined from French outfit Toulouse for £9 million according to Teeside Live.

With another £6million spent on Howson to sign him from Norwich, Boro had spent a lot of money and would have expected promotion.

However, many of these signings flopped, with Christie, Fletcher and Braithwaite all leaving in January. Christie leaving for Fulham on a permanent basis, Fletcher and Braithwaite leaving on loan for Sunderland and Bordeaux respectively.

However, Howson made a big impact on Teeside and still remains at the Riverside Stadium to this day. The defensive midfielder was a smart signing and easily ranks as Monk's best signing during his short-spell as Boro boss.

How has Jonny Howson performed for Boro this season?

As club captain, Howson has started ten of Boro's 15 games this season and featured off the bench in a further 3 games. Even at the age of 35, he's still an instrumental figure in Carrick's side, having had his contract extended in March of this year which saw him extend his stay at the Riverside Stadium until at least the end of the 2023/24 season.

Given his age, Howson is having his game time managed this season, featuring from the bench more often than he did last season, but he still has a valuable role to play nonetheless.

Just last month, manager Michael Carrick told Teeside Live, "For me, he is severely underrated in terms of how good a footballer he is. I think he’s shown that over a long period of time now. Jonny has been terrific."

Boro fans would agree with their managers' statement. While the 2017 summer transfer window may hold bad memories, they'll forever be thankful that Howson was brought to the club.