Crystal Palace weighing up January transfer move for Middlesbrough player | OneFootball

Crystal Palace are interested in signing Middlesbrough's Rav van den Berg in the January window.

Middlesbrough are facing a battle to keep hold of Rav van den Berg in the January window as Crystal Palace look to sign the defender.

It has been a good start to the season for Michael Carrick’s men, who sit seventh in the Championship table, just one point and one place outside the play-offs.

So, promotion will be the aim for Boro, and the boss will no doubt be hoping for a few improvements in the winter window to strengthen the squad.

Crystal Palace monitoring Middlesbrough’s Rav van den Berg

However, another priority for the Teesside outfit will be retaining their key figures, and it appears that Palace could test their resolve with van den Berg.

That’s after Football Insider revealed the Londoners have been making ‘regular checks’ on the Dutch youth international since he joined Boro from Zwolle.

The report now claims they are considering a bid for van den Berg in the New Year, as the Eagles look to add to their defence after a slow start to the Premier League.

Oliver Glasner’s men are currently in the relegation zone in the top-flight, and they have struggled without the influential Joachim Andersen after his switch to Fulham, although Maxence Lacroix and Trevoh Chalobah are showing signs of improvement.

Middlesbrough must have firm Rav van den Berg transfer stance

It was a coup for Boro to sign van den Berg when they did, as he had been linked with a host of top clubs, but the player was prioritising game time at this stage of his career.

So, it’s no surprise he continues to be on the radar of clubs in the top division, but Boro won’t be overly worried about the prospect of losing the 20-year-old in January.

Firstly, van den Berg is under contract until 2027, meaning there’s no pressure to cash in, and we all know the worth of promotion, so the Boro hierarchy will surely need a ridiculous offer to consider a sale mid-season.

As well as that, van den Berg seems to be enjoying his time at the Riverside Stadium.

Whilst he is currently out injured, he features regularly when fit and available for selection, and is clearly improving his game under the guidance of Carrick.

Rav van den Berg is key to Middlesbrough’s promotion push

Following on from that, the only focus for van den Berg and Boro will be winning promotion to the Premier League this season.

As mentioned, they are in a decent position to kick-on, and the underlying metrics suggest they deserve to be higher in the league based on their performances.

That will encourage Carrick and the players, but they must show consistency over the relentless period that looms over the next few months if they are to muscle their way into contention - and van den Berg is sure to have a big role to play as part of the defensive unit.