Rob Edwards must avoid unsettling Luke Ayling at Middlesbrough and sign 13-cap French international | OneFootball

Boro could tick their last remaining transfer box this summer with the addition of a decorated free agent.

Middlesbrough may have left one transfer box unticked following an otherwise excellent summer window, but Rob Edwards can still change that with the signing of a former France international.

Beacon fires on the Cleveland Hills to signal the sight of Premier League football on the horizon aren't being lit quite yet, but there is a growing confidence on Teesside that this could be the year Boro's top-flight exile ends.

It's not hard to see why either. Rob Edwards' side are sitting at the summit of the Championship after four games, unbeaten with a maximum 12 points to their name, and have, in the eyes of many a Teessider, just conducted one of their best summer windows in recent memory.

Hayden Hackney hasn't flown the nest, their cutting edge in attack looks razor sharp after the arrivals of David Strelec, Kaly Sene and Sontje Hansen, whilst Alfie Jones, Matt Targett, Callum Brittain and Adilson Malanda - who will link up with Boro in January - have helped to form a formidable defensive unit.

Middlesbrough may have missed a transfer trick at right-back despite Callum Brittain signing

As a result, Middlesbrough now look to have all they need in order to make a real push for the Premier League this season.

Well, maybe not quite everything.

The aforementioned addition of Brittain looks an inspired one, with the 27-year-old having signed from Blackburn Rovers in a deal worth around £3.5m.

In the last game before the September international break against Sheffield United, the right wing-back put in his best Boro performance yet, playing some excellent defence-splitting passes, providing a constant outlet down the flank, and putting in a superb defensive showing too.

So, in Brittain, it looks as though Middlesbrough have found their answer at that position for the foreseeable future. But what remains unclear, however, is what would happen there should he be forced to miss time this season.

Many Boro fans predicted Luke Ayling might be heading for the scrapheap this summer, after what was a highly disappointing season from him at the right-back spot last term.

However, the 34-year-old has been given a new lease of life operating on the right side of central defence under Edwards, and has undoubtedly been one of Boro's best players through the early exchanges of the season.

Therefore, both for the reasons of not wanting to disrupt his performances there and his aforementioned struggles on the flank, he may not be a viable backup option to Brittain.

Aside from Ayling, Middlesbrough's only other more obvious potential player to call upon would be 19-year-old Josh Dede, who signed for Boro from Celtic in January.

However, the teenager is yet to make a senior appearance for the Teessiders, and also underwent toe surgery in July, with it not yet known how long he will be sidelined for.

Middlesbrough can resolve right wing-back conundrum with free agent signing of Leo Dubois

As such, there is a fair share of Middlesbrough supporters who feel as though perhaps the only thing Boro didn't accomplish in the summer transfer window was the signing of a backup right wing-back.

But, there is one market that never closes: free agents.

The idea of shopping here can often be met with rolled eyes and natural skepticism over the quality that can be found there, but there are players here who are waiting to do a job for teams if taken a chance on.

One of those is former France international, Leo Dubois.

An attacking-minded right-sided defender by trade - who can also operate from the left - Dubois has found himself on the free agent market having been released by Turkish side Eyupspor this summer.

Turning 31 later this month, Dubois has enjoyed a successful career playing at a high level, having represented clubs such as Nantes, Lyon and Galatasaray respectively.

However, regular football has been hard to find for him in more recent times, having made just 11 appearances for Eyupspor in all competitions last season.

A lot of that was down to injury and fitness issues though, as whilst on loan with Istanbul Başakşehir in 23/24, he made 30 Turkish Süper Lig appearances, scoring once and providing seven assists.

Dubois has 14 Champions League appearances to his name too, and has even been capped by France 13 times, and was part of Les Blues' UEFA Nations League-winning team that defeated Spain in 2021.

However, given his lack of playing time recently, recent injury problems and with him soon to turn 31, the chances of him getting another move to a top club/league look fairly slim.

But, in Middlesbrough, he'll see a club that has showcased major Premier League promotion ambition this summer, and are setting the early pace in a bid to win a place in the top-flight next season.

He's never played in England before, and so the opportunity to come in and play a part in a team that looks to have a real chance of becoming a Premier League side this season could be one that gets his juices flowing at this stage of his career.

His experience and quality would be a huge asset to Middlesbrough's dressing room, and would ensure that Edwards has a classy option to push Brittain, whilst enabling him to keep his star right wing-back fresh instead of asking him to largely play 90 minutes every single game.

So, as long as his wage demands are reasonable, Dubois should be a name that Boro chiefs seriously consider if they are potentially casting their eyes over the free agent market.