Middlesbrough push to sign 18-goal contribution Aston Villa attacker | OneFootball

Middlesbrough have made a move to sign Lewis Dobbin from Aston Villa after a successful loan spell with Preston North End

Middlesbrough will be aiming to put the disappointment and heartbreak of missing out on promotion to the Premier League last campaign behind them with another top-six push this time around, and have already made moves to ensure that is the case.

Middlesbrough, for all their wonderful football last season, could not turn their dominance into three points often enough to secure that elusive return to the top-flight.

The Teesside outfit, alongside Coventry City, were fighting at the very top of the division for the bulk of the campaign, but just two wins in their final ten league games saw their chances of automatic promotion snatched away by Ipswich Town, and eventually finishing in fifth beneath both Millwall and Southampton too.

Their semi-final defeat in the play-offs was given a lifeline following Southampton's expulsion from the competition for alleged spying, but Hull City would get the better of them at Wembley, resigning Boro to another year in the second tier.

Kim Hellberg will be as keen as anyone to right the wrongs from last season next time around and has already made a move to reinforce his attacking options with an exciting potential addition.

Middlesbrough have made a move for Aston Villa forward Lewis Dobbin following an excellent loan spell with Preston North End

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Middlesbrough have one of the most exciting forward lines in the entire Championship, boasting the likes of Morgan Whittaker, Tommy Conway, David Strelec, Leo Castledine, Jeremy Sarmiento, and Sontje Hansen, but having failed to convert dominance into victory as much as required, Hellberg has made an effort to ensure that doesn't happen again.

Lewis Dobbin enjoyed an excellent campaign on loan at Preston North End from Aston Villa last season, scoring ten and grabbing eight assists in 39 league games at Deepdale, and upon his return to the Europa League champions, he could be on the verge of a permanent exit, with Middlesbrough reportedly plotting a move for the Englishman, as per FootballInsider.

Dobbin, 23, came through the youth system at Everton before joining Villa in the summer of 2024 for around £9 million after a loan spell in League One with Derby County, with Tim Iroegbunam heading in the opposite direction, but has yet to make a senior appearance for the Villains.

The England youth international has since spent time out on loan with each of West Bromwich Albion, Norwich City, and, most recently, Preston, the latter of whom he has just enjoyed his best senior season to date.

Now, it appears as though Boro are keen to bring him to the Riverside after an 18-goal contribution year in the second tier, with Dobbin capable of playing anywhere across the front line, in what will no doubt be of huge use to Hellberg.

Still only 23, Dobbin is under contract with Villa until the summer of 2028, and will likely want to recoup as much of the fee they paid for him just two years ago if they are to go ahead with a permanent deal.

Morgan Rogers headed the opposite direction two-and-a-half years ago, and now, Boro are looking to grab a bargain from the Midlands outfit, in a deal which could transform Boro's front line for the better.

How are Middlesbrough fans reacting to the Lewis Dobbin transfer news?

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With Dobbin emerging as a serious target for Boro, supporters of the club have quickly taken to social media to react to the news and share their opinions on the story, and whether he would be a good addition to the squad.

This Middlesbrough supporter is in favour of his addition and believes that Dobbin's speed and ability to dribble could be exactly what Boro need to take them to the next level.

This Boro fan remembers Dobbin's performance against them last season, and having scored in Boro's away fixture to Preston, liked what he saw, and is a fan of this move.

The responses to Dobbin's potential addition appear to be overwhelmingly positive, as Boro fans hope that the 23-year-old can be half the player that Rogers has turned out to be.