Middlesbrough must be prepared for Ipswich Town transfer miss | OneFootball

Jack Clarke surely isn't going to be leaving Ipswich Town this summer after his late winner against Sunderland on Saturday

Middlesbrough were dealt a bit of a reality check on Saturday that, despite the excitement that surrounds the club currently, the Championship is still a difficult league to navigate.

Blackburn Rovers, who won just four league games at Ewood Park last season, got the home leg of their campaign off to a brilliant start at Boro's expense, coming from behind to beat them 2-1 thanks to second-half goals from Andri Gudjohnsen and Todd Cantwell.

And, after that Cantwell goal in the 55th minute, the script which followed mirrored a lot of Middlesbrough games toward the tail end of last season. Boro had 78% possession, 13 shots to Blackburn's zero and, crucially, none of those were on target, per Opta.

There's no doubting Will Lankshear's ability in front of goal, but when their potential record signing has an off day, questions remain as to who will take that mantle.

Middlesbrough reportedly exploring a loan move for Ipswich Town's Jack Clarke

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It was reported over the weekend by Alan Nixon that Middlesbrough were keen on a surprise loan move for Ipswich Town wideman Jack Clarke, as they looked to bolster their wide attacking options before the end of the transfer window.

There's an expectation that a left-winger will be moved on from the Portman Road-based outfit in the next week, with there being four senior options who can operate on the left side of the attack.

Anis Mehmeti, another one of those, missed out completely in Ipswich's opening-day win over Sunderland, and he's been linked with a switch to Derby County, per those same reports.

Despite starting just 50% of the 46 games in the Championship last season, Clarke scored 16 times, and alongside two assists, marked his third second-tier campaign with at least 18 goal involvements, after recording 21 and 19 in two separate terms at Sunderland.

Jack Clarke outlined his Premier League promise against former side Sunderland on Saturday

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Clarke began the new Premier League season in a familiar setting, on the bench. But, like so many times last year, he came on to change the game.

Indeed, his introduction in the 71st minute led him to net the winner in Ipswich's return to the top flight, his sixth goal off the bench since the start of last season.

It was also the 25-year-old's first in the Premier League, after he failed to find the net in any of his 34 appearances a couple of years ago in his debut campaign with the Tractor Boys.

If Middlesbrough had any chance of tempting Clarke back to the Championship in the coming week, a poor start to life back in the top flight would have been helpful. Instead, the wideman staked his claim for some starting minutes under Gary O'Neil in Premier League games to come.

Middlesbrough may still have some faint hope in Jack Clarke chase, as Gary O'Neil has a big Ipswich Town decision to make

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Clarke's winning goal off the bench has given Ipswich boss Gary O'Neil a big decision to make. With Jaden Philogene likely to remain at Portman Road, despite indications that wouldn't be the case earlier this window, his eventual return from injury will give him a massive selection headache on the left-hand side.

Ipswich spent £10 million on Maeda this summer, so it'll likely be between Philogene and Clarke over who gets to battle for the spot alongside him. Keeping all three will make it extremely difficult to ensure everyone gets sufficient game time.

With the former Aston Villa man costing Ipswich around £20 million 18 months ago, and the hype and expectation surrounding him, it would be easier to keep him around, which could open the door for Middlesbrough to barge in and take Clarke.

But with the 25-year-old's goalscoring start and recent pedigree as a premier bench option, it wouldn't be surprising to see Ipswich opt to keep both around, maintaining top competition and ensuring one of the best finishers off the bench stays at Portman Road.

Middlesbrough will have to trust their remaining players to make that next step if Jack Clarke pursuit fails

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Middlesbrough will be set for some transfer disappointment if Clarke does remain in the Premier League, with their hopes then set on their current players taking the next steps necessary to push them further.

So far, Boro have been frustrated in both games they've played in the Championship this season, a trend that will likely continue, especially against some of the sides with inferior budgets.

And while it's still early days, the jury is still out as to who will shoulder the load if Lankshear has an off day. Jeremy Sarmiento got on the scoresheet on Saturday; perhaps the Ecuadorian could be in for a big year?

Tommy Conway is still to return from the ankle injury which ruled him out of the Championship play-off final, and Boro fans will be hoping for an improved campaign after 13 goals last season.

But ideally, there'd be more sure-fire attacking options, rather than the hope that someone can have a breakout campaign. Clarke would have been a sure-fire option, but after his goalscoring foray on Saturday, it looks unlikely that he'll leave Ipswich this week.