Middlesbrough told to ‘avoid’ new Brighton transfer deal – ‘there is something off’ | OneFootball

FLW’s Boro fan pundit has commented on whether he would make Jeremy Sarmiento’s loan deal permanent.

Middlesbrough’s automatic promotion push back to the Premier League remains in their hands, but they will have to improve on a stuttering run of home form.

Boro’s 1-1 draw to Bristol City last weekend meant it was a fourth successive home game without a victory, after previously losing to Charlton Athletic and being held by Oxford United and Leicester City.

A last-gasp sucker punch was yet another game that had got away from Boro, with the Teesside outfit dropping crucial points in matches they were expected to come out on top.

More dropped points on Saturday lunchtime handed the opportunity to Millwall to overtake Boro in second, but the Lions suffered a shock home defeat to Blackburn Rovers instead, although Ipswich Town closed the gap to two points with a routine 2-0 victory away at Sheffield Wednesday.

With the pressure firmly on, Kim Hellberg’s men have to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible and sort out their form at the Riverside Stadium, which has deserted them of late.

One player who is still hoping to play a big part in their promotion push is winger Jeremy Sarmiento, after joining Boro on loan from Brighton during the January transfer window.

But in two starts and seven substitute appearances, he is yet to record a single goal, raising questions as to whether this loan move was worth it all.

With this in mind, FLW’s Middlesbrough fan pundit has commented on Sarmiento’s form since joining, and whether the club should be looking to make his move a permanent one in the summer.

Middlesbrough urged to avoid pursuing a permanent move for Jeremy Sarmiento

Speaking to Football League World, Middlesbrough fan pundit Liam Day has pleaded with Boro to not make Jeremy Sarmiento’s move from Brighton oermanent this summer, believing ‘there is something off’ with the Ecuadorian international's performances.

Liam told FLW: “Right now he’s (Sarmiento) not doing enough to convince us to sign him permanently.

“I think there’s a definitely a player there. I think you can see that. He beats a man quite a bit, and he switches play well, but there’s something off about him.

"I don’t know if it’s the way Hellberg’s system is, and he just doesn’t fit in that, I don’t really know, there just seems to be something missing, I don’t know if it’s confidence, it could be.

“From what I’ve seen in past loan spells, he was very willing to take a shot and curl it into the far corner, and while he’s done that a couple of times, I’ve not seen that enough, especially against low block teams, I want to see that a bit more.

“I think there’s definitely promise there, but for the situation right now, I’m not sure if he was the right move in January, and I’m not convinced to sign him permanently.

"We could maybe sign him permanently if we’re still in the Championship, but in the Premier League, I don’t think that’s the right move whatsoever, so I’d avoid it personally, if we go up.”

Jeremy Sarmiento has to offer a lot more to earn a permanent Middlesbrough move

After originally generating much excitement amongst the Boro fans from his arrival, Jeremy Sarmiento has failed to pull up any trees during his loan spell so far and has to do much more if he is to convince the club that they should buy him on a permanent basis.

The winger is yet to record a single goal contribution, and is offering nowhere near enough going forward, which has been a big reason as to why Boro have failed to get the better of low block sides at the Riverside Stadium in recent weeks.

His attacking stats make for grim reading, registering just five shots, creating five chances, possessing a 33.3% successful dribbling rate and having only 16 touches in the opposition’s boxes, as per FotMob.

It’s a player who just can’t seem to influence games, which is unusual given he is known for his flair on the flanks.

Whether it’s the system or just a general lack of confidence, Sarmiento has to bounce back and take some more risks with his game, otherwise Boro are going to remain toothless going forward and see their promotion hopes vanish.

It’s up to the attacker to show what he is made of, and prove that he has what it takes to play a massive part in their remaining eight games of the season.

If he can do this, then it might be enough to convince Boro to bring him on board on a full-time basis, but right now, his future seems far away from the Riverside Stadium due to his recent displays.