Middlesbrough pulled off free agent masterstroke with £5m Stoke City profit - Chelsea, Liverpool dodged a bullet | OneFootball

Tuncay Sanli remains a hugely popular figure on Teesside, but he couldn't emulate his Boro success with the Potters.

Tuncay Sanli remains a cult hero at Middlesbrough, but the Turk didn't delight Stoke City supporters quite like he did on Teesside.

2007 was an interesting time in Middlesbrough's modern history.

In the couple of years prior to then, Boro ended their 128-year wait for silverware by lifting the League Cup in 2004, before going on two European adventures in the following two seasons.

Steve McClaren's side went all the way to the UEFA Cup final in 2006, but would fall to Sevilla at the final hurdle. In the time that had elapsed since those glory years, a number of Boro's star players had left for pastures new.

With Gareth Southgate now at the helm, and having just recorded a 12th-placed finish in the top flight - an improvement on their 14th-placed finish from the 2005/06 season - Boro were looking to enjoy a strong summer of recruitment in order to ensure they wouldn't lose their grip on Premier League security.

Tuncay becomes Middlesbrough cult hero after free agent masterstroke

One of the first new arrivals through the Rockliffe Park doors that summer was Tuncay.

The Turkish international signed on a free transfer in late June 2007, having left Fenerbahçe after spending five seasons with the Turkish giants, during which he collected three league title wins.

He would pen a four-year contract at the Riverside Stadium as a 25-year-old at the time, and was evidently delighted to be a Boro player. "Ever since I was a young boy, I have wanted to play in the English Premier League and I know that Middlesbrough are one of the most influential teams in the top division, so I am excited about this chance," he said at the time.

"I have always been a team player. I play with my heart, as Fenerbahçe fans will confirm. I had a fantastic relationship with them because they knew I always gave everything I had for the team when I was on the pitch. In return, they always gave me great support."

Tuncay certainly wasn't fibbing there either, and it was that work-rate, passion and industrious nature that would see him become beloved by the Boro faithful, as well as his deadly finishing ability.

Tap-ins, powerful headers, venomous volleys and even the odd overhead kick - Tuncay could find a route to goal in any situation.

He would spend two seasons in the Premier League with Middlesbrough, where he would score 15 goals and provide eight assists in 67 top flight appearances for the club - per Transfermarkt.

Despite his hard-work and best efforts in attack, Middlesbrough would be relegated to the Championship upon the conclusion of the 2008/09 season, in a campaign where Tuncay would claim every single one of Boro's end of season awards which he was eligible to receive.

“Look at the example that Tuncay has set. How can people say foreign players don’t care?,” Southgate would say of Tuncay's performances in a red and white shirt in April 2009.

“People talk about foreign players and say they don’t care as much as the home-grown players. But you’ve only got to look at Tuncay to see that’s not the case. He has given every ounce of energy he has to this club."

Tuncay doesn't hit Middlesbrough heights with Stoke City - Liverpool, Chelsea and others will be glad they didn't pursue a deal

After making three appearances and scoring two goals in the Championship at the start of the 2009/10 season, Tuncay would eventually seal a £5m move back to the Premier League, joining Stoke City.

However, the Turk wouldn't enjoy quite as fruitful a spell in the Potteries as he did on Teesside, and looking back on the deal, it's certainly one that Middlesbrough can proclaim themselves the victors from.

Tuncay would score four goals in 30 Premier League appearances for the Potters during the 2009/10 season, before scoring just once in 14 top flight outings during the first half of the 2010/11 campaign.

Come January 2011, and just 18 months after signing for the club, Tuncay would leave to join German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, in a deal worth a reported £4.5m.

However, there was a time when he was linked with a big-money move to Chelsea, as the Blues were reportedly preparing an £8m offer when he was still a Middlesbrough player in December 2008.

Southgate laughed off those reports at the time, saying: "I was quite amused at the figure they put on his head because the club that were linked pay double that for full-backs."

Indeed, Chelsea weren't the only big Premier League club said to have been interested in him during his time on Teesside, as in what was a rather bizarre event, Tuncay himself revealed in the summer of 2009 that Liverpool were keen on offering him a route back to top flight football.

Fulham and Arsenal were also credited as being interested in him at that time, but he would end up signing for Stoke instead. Given how his Potters career turned out, it's probably safe to assume those clubs don't regret not securing his signature that summer.