Middlesbrough FC thought they struck Aston Villa bargain - transfer is one to forget | OneFootball

Brad Guzan's time on Teesside was short-lived, but the American goalkeeper endured a torrid 2016/17 season as a Middlesbrough player.

Middlesbrough made numerous signings Boro fans will want to forget during their ill-fated 2016/17 Premier League season - Brad Guzan is one of them.

Having won promotion to the top flight in 2016 thanks to a dramatic final day draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, Middlesbrough were preparing for a vitally important summer transfer window in order to prepare themselves for life back in the big time.

Led by head coach Aitor Karanka, Boro made some hugely eye-catching additions in the summer of 2016, as the likes of Alvaro Negredo, Calum Chambers, Victor Valdes, Adama Traore and Marten de Roon all made moves to the Riverside Stadium.

As such, many people were talking about the Teessiders as being dark horses for a strong debut season back in the Premier League, but ultimately, they would finish the season in 19th place, suffering an immediate relegation back to the Championship.

Another player that put pen to paper on a contract with Middlesbrough that summer was former Aston Villa star and American international, Brad Guzan.

Despite having one year remaining on his Villa contract, the then 31-year-old goalkeeper was allowed to leave for Teesside on a free transfer, as he penned a two-year contract with Boro.

As such, this had all the indications of being a highly shrewd piece of business by Middlesbrough, as they captured the signature of a proven Premier League shot-stopper and highly established international for nothing.

He'd even won the support of one particular Middlesbrough fan, who placed the iconic label of "mint man" on Boro's new keeper.

Prior to his Boro switch, Guzan had made 144 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa (per Transfermarkt), and was still in the relative prime of his career as a goalkeeper.

It was expected that he would provide stern competition for the starting role with Valdes, and at the very least, would offer Karanka a safe and experienced pair of hands as Boro's number two.

Guzan endures nightmare season with Middlesbrough, as mistakes and poor shot-stopping leave unwanted Boro legacy

Having almost exclusively performed the role as cup goalkeeper for the majority of the season, a late twist would see him thrust into the full-time starting role towards the end of the campaign.

What was reported to be a "rib injury" amid reports of friction occurring between Valdes and Middlesbrough club staff after the departure of Karanka in March, the legendary Spanish goalkeeper would play no further part in Boro's season from matchday 33 onwards in the Premier League.

That left Guzan with the chance to start in Middlesbrough's final seven league games, and perhaps salvage his Boro career from the highly forgettable one it turned out to be.

In some respects, that's exactly what the American would accomplish, as Teessiders have recalled his days in-between the sticks for the club ever since, but not for the right reasons.

Guzan wasn't playing for his Middlesbrough future either, as he'd already agreed a pre-contract deal to sign with MLS side Atlanta United at the end of the season during the 2017 January transfer window.

Even if he was, however, his performances in those final seven games likely wouldn't have seen him secure a future in the North East anyway.

Guzan conceded 16 times during the final seven Premier League games of the 16/17 season, including a 4-0 defeat to Bournemouth, and 3–0 defeats to both Chelsea and Liverpool respectively.

In fact, as were the frustration levels around the Riverside Stadium at the time - not just with Guzan's performances but at the club's season as a whole, Boro fans even chanted for their goalkeeper to be sent off in Middlesbrough's final home game of the season against Southampton, which they lost 2-1.

Guzan wasn't sent off, but after one more drubbing against Liverpool on the final day of the season, his and Middlesbrough's Premier League nightmare would be over.

The American would return to his homeland across the pond to sign with Atlanta United, a club where, as of May 2025, he is still turning out for in the MLS at the age of 40.