"Big concern" - Middlesbrough sent warning as Crystal Palace plot key move | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit has been speaking on the impact losing head of football Kieran Scott to Crystal Palace would have on the club.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Middlesbrough's head of football Kieran Scott has been linked with the vacant sporting director role at Crystal Palace following Dougie Freedman's departure.

Sky Sports News revealed on 19 March that Scott, Iain Moody and Lee Dykes were all being considered by the Eagles as Freedman's potential successor.

Scott joined Middlesbrough from Norwich City in September 2021, and has played a key role in Boro's largely impressive recruitment strategy over the last few transfer windows.

"Would be a shame" - Kieran Scott's Middlesbrough impact outlined amid Crystal Palace links

We asked our Middlesbrough fan pundit, Jasper Hudson: Crystal Palace are reportedly eyeing up Kieran Scott as a potential Dougie Freedman replacement. How big of a blow would it be for Boro to lose him?'

Hudson said: "Losing Kieran Scott would obviously be a big concern.

"He's revolutionised recruitment at the club, and since he's come in, we've been mostly successful with transfers. He's made a notable difference, and it would be a shame to lose him.

"I think he's hard to replace, especially in the short-term. But, I feel like he has laid out a foundation that now the club as a whole can stick to, and if we bring someone in, I'd like to think they'd be able to at least try and copy the style of recruitment that the club have tried.

"Bringing in young players, trying to sell them on for a profit; it's similar to that Brighton and Brentford model that, hopefully in three or four years time, will pay off, and set us up well for the Premier League should we be able to get promoted."

Kieran Scott may feel he's ready for Premier League role due to Middlesbrough success

Should Scott depart Middlesbrough for Crystal Palace, or indeed a different club in the near future, then Boro would have a big task on their hands to replace him.

Scott has led the overhaul of how the Teessiders operate in the transfer market, adopting a clear strategy that revolves around the identification, recruitment, development and selling-on of young talent.

As a result, Middlesbrough have already enjoyed big paydays from the sales of Morgan Rogers and Emmanuel Latte Lath, and with sellable assets still in Michael Carrick's squad such as Hayden Hackney and Rav van den Berg, the club's coffers look set to be lined even further in the not so distant future.

Therefore, Scott may feel as though he's done enough to prove himself as being ready for a major Premier League role, and as such, Middlesbrough's chances of retaining his services may rest on whether they can win promotion to the top flight this season.

He may well wish to see through the Riverside project that he's helped construct, however, and if he does, then Boro supporters will be extremely glad to see him stay in the North East.