Middlesbrough FC should have eyes on top-flight maestro to solve Aidan Morris problem | OneFootball

Anderlecht's Theo Leoni could solve a number of Boro's central midfield issues which have been highlighted in Morris' absence.

Aidan Morris' injury absence has been felt hard by Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough side this season.

The US international suffered a knee injury whilst on national team duties in mid-November 2024, and as of mid-January 2025, the 23-year-old is yet to return to the Middlesbrough squad.

In his absence, Dan Barlaser and Hayden Hackney has been the central midfield pairing of choice, but the two have struggled to build a successful partnership in the heart of Boro's engine room.

As such, Carrick's side have found it difficult to win matches, as they've only picked up four Championship wins in the 11 games since Morris last played in the 5-1 win over Luton Town on 9 November.

This, combined with largely poor performances from Hackney and Barlaser, has revealed that Middlesbrough's central midfield depth may not be as strong as many thought, as growing numbers of Boro supporters call for Carrick to dip into the transfer market to add another pair of legs in the middle of the park.

If the Teessiders do decide to strengthen in central midfield this month, then there is a player residing in a top European league that could be an intriguing option for the Premier League promotion chasers.

Anderlecht star Theo Leoni could solve Middlesbrough's midfield problem

We've seen Middlesbrough shop in some of European football's top leagues in recent times, with the likes of Rav van den Berg, Emmanuel Latte Lath, Neto Borges, Lukas Engel, Alex Bangura and Delano Burgzorg all arriving from various clubs and divisions across the continent.

Evidently, Boro feel there are plenty of bargains to be had shopping in this market, and with the success they've had doing so, it surely won't be too long before they cast their line in that pond once again.

One league which they haven't been regular customers of over the years is the Belgian First Division A, with 2016 being the last time Boro recruited a player from Belgium, and that was central midfielder Julien De Sart.

However, Anderlecht's Theo Leoni could be the ideal prospect to change that. The 24-year-old is a predominantly left-footed player (something that Middlesbrough don't have in central midfield), but is also very comfortable on his right.

As of matchday 18 in the Belgian First Division A, Leoni's passing accuracy stands at 87.8 percent so far this season, which ranks him in the top 88.8 percentile of the division's central midfielders - per FotMob.

Despite being 5'7", the former Belgium youth international has won 73.9 percent of his tackles so far this term (Barlaser 66.7 percent, Hackney 57.1 percent - per FotMob), and perhaps even more impressively given his size, 66.7% of his aerial duels - per FotMob.

Leoni is a superbly gifted technician, with almost all of his Anderlecht goals being collector's items. He's contracted at Anderlecht until 2026, and after coming through their academy, he could be up for a new test in English football, and potentially the Premier League.

The Belgian has even been entrusted to operate in central defence on a handful of occasions, highlighting how much trust Anderlecht have in his defensive abilities, as well as offering a glimpse into the sort of character he is.

Middlesbrough's midfielders can't have impressed Michael Carrick recently

Barlaser and Hackney's poor performances of late have been the result of a combination of shortcomings. Sloppy passing, not winning their individual duels and battles, poor tackling, and a noticeable lack of bite and energy have all contributed to their frustrating displays in Morris' absence.

It's perhaps no coincidence then, that Hackney's best performances in a Boro shirt so far this season came in the early stages of the campaign, when he and Morris were forming one of the best central midfield partnerships in the Championship.

As such, when the American international returns, that may well bring the best back out of Boro's academy graduate. But, there's also the chance that some fundamental weaknesses in his, and indeed Barlaser's respective games, may have been presented to Carrick that the Middlesbrough boss simply can't ignore.

Central midfield is such a key part of Carrick's tactical approach at the Riverside Stadium, as his possession-oriented style of play relies heavily on those in the middle of the park to win their battles and dictate the tempo of games.

That has rarely been happening since Morris' injury due to the aforementioned factors, and as such, it's been a key reason why Boro haven't taken as many points as they probably should have in recent weeks.

However, bringing in Leoni could go a long way to fixing these issues for Middlesbrough, and would help secure the future of their central midfield position for the future, given the uncertainty surrounding Hackney's, Barlaser's and Howson's long-term futures at the club.