Middlesbrough FC's £6m Martin Payero mistake: The Teesside transfer that still divides Boro faithful | OneFootball

Martin Payero's move to Teesside was full of optimism from Boro fans, but it didn't go to plan.

Upon signing for Middlesbrough in August 2021, it was hoped that Martin Payero would take the club's midfield to the next level and endear himself to the Boro faithful.

When Middlesbrough completed the £6 million signing of then-22-year-old Argentine midfielder Martin Payero in early August 2021, there was understandably a great deal of optimism from Boro fans surrounding his arrival.

His performances in Argentina for Banfield, as well as showing glimpses of quality for Argentina at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and playing all three games, saw Payero touted for a European switch the following summer.

It then came as a surprise to many to see him switch from Buenos Aires to Teesside, linking up with the Championship side and then-Boro manager, Neil Warnock.

The previous season, Middlesbrough had finished 10th in the Championship under Warnock after falling away from the play-off places during the latter stages of the season, so it was hoped that Payero was the missing piece of the puzzle to shoot Boro up the table.

Upon Payero signing for the club, Warnock said: “He will be an exciting signing, we’re delighted to get everything done, and we’re looking forward to working with him. I know Martin is looking forward to it and can’t wait to play in front of our fans.”

Payero was unable to find his feet at Boro

In his first season at the club, Payero struggled to break into the team under Warnock.

He was usually either an unused substitute off the bench or failed to make the matchday squad, with Warnock preferring Jonny Howson, Matt Crooks, Sam Morsy and Marcus Tavernier in the middle of the park.

He made his first league appearance for Boro in a 1-0 away loss to Reading and would establish a run in the team between mid-late October, playing the full ninety minutes in four consecutive league matches as Boro picked up nine out of a possible 12 points during that period.

However, just as Payero was beginning to find his feet on the side, Warnock was replaced by Chris Wilder in November 2021 - Payero had to prove himself all over again.

Under Wilder, his game time was limited to the odd late appearance off the bench, where, in a midweek fixture away at QPR, Payero came on as a late substitute for Crooks, but would need to be stretchered off himself after coming off worse in a 50/50 challenge.

That would effectively be the last of him in a Boro shirt, after he sustained an ankle injury which ruled him out for the majority of the rest of the season, appearing once more as an 89th-minute substitute away at Swansea in April 2022, and a further appearance in the first round of the EFL Cup in August 2023.

The Argentine would spend the following 22/23 season back in Argentina on loan with Boca Juniors, but was blighted by injuries during his time at La Bombonera too.

Payero's Middlesbrough signing remains a deal which has divided opinion among Boro fans

Payero's time at Middlesbrough didn't go as well as anybody involved in the deal would have hoped.

In total, Payero made just 16 appearances for Boro, at a cost of £375,000 per appearance without factoring in wages.

Following two years under contract at Teesside, Payero moved to Italy with Udinese in a £3m deal in the summer of 2023, with Boro recouping half of the fee they had initially paid Banfield just two years prior.

The Argentine's signing still splits fan opinion to this day, with some Boro fans citing his time with the club as 'unlucky', while others were happy to see the back of him.

There were times when Payero showcased his ability and potential on Teesside, with his solitary Boro goal being a very well-taken finish away at Cardiff City in 2021.

He showed a burning desire and hunger to impress every time he stepped on the pitch, and he undoubtedly had that air of mystery around him that so often is the case when a talented young South American player comes to England.

Whatever opinion you hold of Payero's time at Middlesbrough, he almost certainly has to be labelled as a flop, but he remains a beloved figure at the Riverside Stadium to this day regardless.