Middlesbrough in transfer tussle with Bristol City & Preston | OneFootball

Middlesbrough, Bristol City and Preston are all keen on Doncaster City keeper Ashton Powney.

The summer transfer window is officially open, and clubs in the Championship will be working on deals to strengthen their squads.

As we know, it’s a very difficult process when it comes to finalising transfers, and recruitment teams will be keeping tabs on all types of players.

It can often be the case that clubs in the Championship are competing for the same individuals, and one player who is in that category is Doncaster City goalkeeper Ashton Powney.

Middlesbrough, Bristol City and Preston tracking Doncaster City’s Ashton Powney

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The 17-year-old is not a name that EFL fans will recognise, as he is currently playing for the Yorkshire side in the Northern Counties East Division One league, which is the tenth tier of English football.

However, Powney’s performances have caught the eye of clubs in the professional game, as Football Insider has revealed that Boro, Bristol City and Preston are all keen on the teenager.

The update explains how they are interested in taking the keeper, who has played for England’s Schoolboys, on an initial trial, and, as Powney isn’t on a professional contract, any permanent deal would be straightforward.

As you would expect due to Powney’s age, he would be a signing for the academy teams at the three clubs mentioned, although he is viewed as someone who has the potential to play at this level further down the line.

Middlesbrough, Bristol City and Preston are right to look for long-term talents

This isn’t the sort of signing that will particularly excite the fans of the clubs mentioned, as they will want players who are ready to make an instant impact on the first-team.

Yet, any successful club must have a long-term approach in mind, and it’s crucial they try to bring through young talent.

That is becoming increasingly important in the modern game, and all of Middlesbrough, Bristol City and Preston are not receiving parachute payments.

Therefore, there is a greater emphasis on producing your own players, as complying with the financial rules means they aren’t in a position to splash huge sums.

Of course, we don’t know how Powney’s career will play out, but he is clearly someone that the recruitment teams at these clubs have identified as a quality player for his age.

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So, it will be intriguing to see where he ends up, and how his career plays out if he does secure a move to any Championship side.

Clearly, it would be a massive jump up for the youngster initially, but there are many examples of players coming from non-league teams and reaching a very high level without having spent much time at an academy.

How Middlesbrough fans reacted to links with Doncaster City’s Ashton Powney

It’s fair to say that this potential deal was more of a talking point for Middlesbrough, as number one Sol Brynn endured a difficult season last time out.

Whilst he played his part in helping Kim Hellberg’s side reach the top six, he did make some high-profile errors in the campaign, with the most costly one coming in the play-off final at Wembley against Hull City, as Oli McBurnie capitalised on his poor handling to seal promotion for the Tigers.

With that in mind, the prospect of a new keeper arriving did go down well with this Boro fan...

Yet, these two Boro supporters recognised that this was a signing with the long-term in mind, as they expect Powney to link up with the academy if he did make the move to Teesside...

If Powner does arrive at Boro's academy side, it could trigger a major overhaul of the goalkeeping department at all levels, as there will be doubts over the future of Brynn, and Joe Wildsmith, who was on the bench for the final months of the season, was only on loan at Middlesbrough from West Brom.