Middlesbrough must ask Michael Carrick for a Man Utd favour if Leeds complete defender swoop | OneFootball

Middlesbrough should target Manchester United's Harry Amass for next season if Matt Targett doesn't sign permanently this summer

Middlesbrough, from a neutral standpoint, have been one of the best footballing sides to watch in the Championship this season, though despite this, promotion to the Premier League may elude them.

Since Kim Hellberg took charge on Teesside following the departure of Rob Edwards to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Middlesbrough have drastically improved their performances.

Hellberg's fluid, high-possession system, which focuses on working the ball into the box and remaining patient, has seen Boro play some of the best football the division has seen this year.

However, a disappointing run of form may mean their best route to the top-flight may now be through the play-offs, with each of Ipswich Town, Millwall, and now Southampton putting up strong fights to fire themselves into automatic promotion contention.

Regardless of what division they are playing in next year, it's likely to be a busy summer at the Riverside, as their hopes of signing a loan star permanently have recently taken a fresh blow, meaning Hellberg may need to turn his attentions elsewhere in the market.

Middlesbrough should target Manchester United's Harry Amass this summer amid Matt Targett Premier League links

Full-backs have proven to be a key area for Hellberg since he arrived at Middlesbrough, with both his left-back and right-back taking up a variety of positions across the pitch to help in each of the transition phase, build-up, and in the final third.

Both Callum Brittain and Matt Targett have more often than not been the Swede's first-choice options on either side, with the latter having impressed so much since joining on loan from Newcastle United in the summer, that, according to TEAMtalk, both Everton and Leeds United are interested in signing him permanently this summer.

With four goals and three assists in the league so far this season, Targett, now 30, is in the final year of his contract at St James' Park, and will likely leave upon the expiry of his deal, allowing him to join a new club on a free transfer this summer.

In any case, Middlesbrough will almost certainly want to bring him back to the club permanently this summer, but with Premier League interest rife and promotion looking increasingly unlikely, they may be forced to turn their attentions elsewhere.

19-year-old Harry Amass excelled in the first half of the season on loan with Sheffield Wednesday, despite their woes both on and off the pitch, and as a result, earned a fresh loan move to Norwich City for the second half of the campaign.

Unfortunately for the Manchester United youngster, an injury sustained in training limited him to just one appearance for the Canaries, and he has since returned to the North West to receive treatment on the injury.

Amass is a fully-fledged England youth international and looks to have a seriously bright future ahead of him, but he may not quite be ready to make the jump into the Red Devils first-team just yet, and will likely be loaned out once again this summer.

Middlesbrough already have a relationship with current Man United boss Michael Carrick, with the former midfielder spending over 150 games in charge of Boro previously, and could well be in line to take the permanent gig at Old Trafford beyond this campaign.

If Carrick remains in charge, Middlesbrough should try to use their existing relationship to their own benefit and strike a deal with United for Amass, in the event that Targett joins either Everton or Leeds.

Regardless of what division they find themselves in next year, Amass would be an excellent option for Hellberg, with Amass' energy and technical ability likely to be of huge usefulness to the Swede.

Kim Hellberg will be targeting promotion to the Premier League with Middlesbrough amid Matt Targett's bombshell

Before any real transfer work can begin at Middlesbrough, Hellberg will be fully focused on achieving promotion to the Premier League.

It goes without saying that their pulling power would be significantly stronger if they were a top-flight side, and in this case, they would stand a much better chance of bringing Targett back permanently this summer.

Whether or not Targett returns to the Riverside, Amass would be an excellent option, and Hellberg should be on the phone to Carrick as soon as possible to ask the favour.