Middlesbrough are set to net a tidy sum from Nathan Wood’s transfer to Southampton and should reinvest those funds this summer.
Middlesbrough have seen a number of players leave the club this summer as Michael Carrick aims to refine his squad for the 2024/25 Championship campaign.
Paddy McNair and Liam Roberts departed as free agents last month, freeing up some of Boro’s wage bill.
Sammy Silvera has joined Portsmouth on loan for the upcoming campaign, while Hayden Coulson signed for Blackpool on a permanent basis.
Said departures should give Boro some extra finances to play with this summer but the Teessiders could be set for a further cash boost this summer.
That money will come from former Middlesbrough player Nathan Wood, who is closing in on a move to Southampton, according to BBC Sport.
Middlesbrough sold Wood to Swansea City in 2022 and are understood to have inserted what has been described as a ‘very healthy’ sell-on clause into the deal.
Swansea rejected two bids worth up to £10m from the Saints for the centre-back last year, meaning Russel Martin’s side will likely have to cough up a similar figure this summer.
In turn, Steve Gibson could be looking at netting somewhere in the region of £1m from the Premier League side in the current window.
With this in mind, Boro News have taken a look at three players Middlesbrough could sign with the Wood sell-on clause fee.
Jamie Reid
Jamie Reid joined League One outfit Stevenage from Mansfield Town in the summer of 2021.
The 29-year-old has since cemented himself as a key figure at the Lamex Stadium, scoring 45 goals in 145 outings.
Reid had a particularly fruitful 2023/24 season in England’s third tier, scoring 18 league goals and 22 in all competitions.
Reid’s excellent form earned him his first international call-up for Northern Ireland earlier this year, seeing him score on his debut versus Romania.
A striker remains a priority for Middlesbrough in the current window and Reid could prove just the addition Carrick needs.
Michal Helik
Michal Helik signed for Huddersfield Town from Barnsley in 2022 and has been one the Terriers’ best players since.
Helik is a towering centre-back who is a major threat from set pieces, as shown by his nine league goals in 2023/24.
The 28-year-old would bring a plethora of experience and leadership qualities to the Riverside, having ended the previous campaign as Huddersfield’s captain.
While the Yorkshire outfit are unlikely to want to sell the centre-back, their relegation to League One means Helik could be looking for a new challenge this summer.
Luke Cundle
Luke Cundle signed for Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers as a youngster but has been unable to earn a regular place in their first-team.
The 22-year-old midfielder spent last season on loan in the Championship with Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City.
Cundel scored seven and assisted eight in 43 appearances across all competitions, a stellar record for a central midfielder.
The Englishman has since returned to Wolves but with first-team minutes at Molineux likely to be sparse, he may be eyeing a permanent transfer after getting a taste of regular football last term.
Middlesbrough have already signed Aidan Morris to bolster their midfield in 2024 but with Jonny Howson now 36, Carrick could look to Cundle as a long-term replacement for the Boro captain.