Middlesbrough transfer ambition questioned after ‘underwhelming’ winger deal confirmed | OneFootball

FLW’s Boro fan pundit has commented on the signing of attacker Myles Peart-Harris.

Middlesbrough will be preparing for another shot at Premier League glory during the 2026-27 season.

Kim Hellberg’s men will be aiming to put their gut-wrenching play-off final defeat to Hull City behind them and be back in promotion contention next term, with the Teesside outfit entering their 10th straight campaign of Championship football.

However, they will have to continue to have a squad of players that have both the stamina and quality to be situated towards the top of the table after 46 games.

So far, the Teesside outfit have been busy adding to their wide areas, last week confirming the permanent signing of Jeremy Sarmiento from Brighton, following on from his loan spell at the Riverside Stadium.

And now Boro have completed the capture of Oxford United attacker Myles Peart-Harris on a free transfer, with the 23-year-old penning a four-year contract.

The Chelsea academy graduate has had Championship spells at both Swansea City and Oxford over the course of the last two campaigns, notching a combined six goals and five assists from 48 appearances.

Those kinds of statistics have caused some debate among Boro fans about whether this is an uninspiring addition or one that could be a calculated bargain, with the club seemingly hopeful that he can carry his late-season form at the Kassam Stadium to the Riverside Stadium.

With this in mind, FLW’s Middlesbrough fan pundit has commented on the arrival of Peart-Harris and whether he believes it is a positive addition for Kim Hellberg’s men.

Myles Peart-Harris, Middlesbrough signing labelled as ‘underwhelming’

Speaking to Football League World, Middlesbrough fan pundit Liam Day has branded the signing of winger Myles Peart-Harris as ‘underwhelming’, believing the former Oxford United man will be nothing more than an impact player and that Boro fans should not be excited.

On Peart-Harris’ signing, Liam told FLW: “I think underwhelming is a good word to use.

“I know it’s a free signing and it won’t have much impact financially, and if you’re replacing the likes of (Alex) Gilbert and (Sam) Silvera then I’m somewhat OK with it, you know, it’s an option off the bench, and you never know with Hellberg, he could transform him into a good player.

“You can never rule anybody out until they’ve put on the shirt, but when you look at the face value of it, it looks a bad signing.

“I can see why we’ve done it. We need some depth, he’s free and got Championship experience, but I’m not amazed by it, not excited by it or happy with it, but it’s a player that we’re getting, so you’ve got to get behind them, obviously.

“There is a tiny bit of potential as he’s tall and got a bit of pace, but it just doesn’t seem very good when you’re looking at face value.”

Myles Peart-Harris will have to prove Middlesbrough doubters wrong

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With Middlesbrough setting their sights on being back in the promotion conversation, you can understand the lack of excitement for the signing of Myles Peart-Harris, who hasn’t exactly set the world alight in the Championship.

Four goal contributions in 19 games for the U’s isn’t anything special, so he will need to up that tally immensely if he is to turn himself into a fan favourite on Teesside way.

While you can’t turn your nose up at a free transfer for a player who has second tier experience, it’s not the type of signing that shows Boro want to get promoted next season, with this addition at the moment looking like it’s purely for depth purposes on the flanks.

Of course, Peart-Harris could turn out to be an instrumental part to Boro’s success during the 2026-27 campaign, but right now, it’s a move that doesn’t get the pulses racing, with Boro’s fans still looking for a statement signing.

From Peart-Harris’ perspective, it’s up to him to prove that he has the quality to be a regular starter in a promotion-chasing side, with the pressure firmly on his shoulders to hit the ground running in red and white.