Middlesbrough must rue Southampton transfer miss - Rob Edwards is laughing | OneFootball

Middlesbrough missed out on signing Adam Armstrong in January, and it's a decision they will regret as they struggle for goals in the promotion race.

Middlesbrough’s stuttering form continued last time out as they were held to a 0-0 draw against struggling Blackburn at Ewood Park.

Whilst Boro remain in the second automatic promotion spot, they know Ipswich can overtake them if they win their game in hand, and Kim Hellberg’s side have now just won two of their last eight.

However, that doesn’t tell the whole story, as Boro’s performances in that period have generally been very impressive, and, against Rovers, it was another case of missed chances costing the team.

Middlesbrough’s poor finishing is costing them in the promotion battle

In those last eight games, Boro didn’t find the net against Oxford, Charlton and Blackburn, three sides in the bottom seven.

Incredibly, they had 70 shots in those games, so it doesn’t take a genius to work out why Boro are not winning games, as they’re simply lacking quality where it matters in front of goal.

That’s why it’s difficult to blame Hellberg. He is sending Boro out to dominate games, and that’s exactly what they’re doing. They keep the ball well, the build-up play is stylish, and they constantly disrupt the opposition with their movement and rotations.

However, it ultimately doesn’t matter if they fail to take their chances, and with Boro having also dropped points against Leicester and Bristol City in games they controlled, it’s fair to say this is becoming a concerning theme.

Middlesbrough will rue their failure to sign Adam Armstrong in January

On one hand, some will say it’s a positive that Boro are often outplaying their opponents, and, with a bit of luck, things could have been very different, which is a fair point.

Yet, it’s also evident Boro are lacking a ruthless finisher, which is why the club must rue not pushing the boat out to sign Adam Armstrong.

The 29-year-old is a proven performer at this level, having scored 44 goals in his last 86 games for Blackburn in the second tier. More recently, he registered 37 goal contributions as Southampton won promotion in 2024, and he was among the top scorers in the league in January.

So, when it became apparent he was available, Boro were right to show an interest, and even if he would’ve commanded a big salary, to go with a £7m transfer fee, it was a deal that could’ve massively helped Boro win promotion.

Instead, Armstrong signed for Wolves, who are managed by former boss Rob Edwards, and even though he has managed just one goal for Wanderers, a classy finish against Brentford, he has made a positive impression at Molineux.

Nevertheless, there’s no doubt that he was brought in by Wolves with next season in mind, when they will be playing in the Championship.

Therefore, you can’t help thinking that if Boro were willing to stump up the cash, the prospect of joining a club on the up may have appealed.

Furthermore, Armstrong looks as though he would’ve flourished in Hellberg’s setup, with the possession based game having some similarities to Russell Martin, who was in charge when Armstrong scored 24 in the Championship for Saints.

He may lack physicality, but the striker is a hard worker, he runs the channels, and his technical ability is there for all to see. Crucially, when chances come his way, he knows how to finish, and you would’ve backed him to score for fun in this Boro team.

But, it wasn’t to be, and even though the hierarchy at Middlesbrough will feel vindicated if the team do get over the line, not pushing harder for Armstrong in January is something they surely regret right now as they continue to spurn chances in their bid to reach the Premier League.