“I don’t think – in the Leeds and Leicester transfer race, Middlesbrough offered bittersweet hope.”
Though Carlton Palmer, a pundit, has identified Brest as a possible loan destination, he feels it may be difficult for Middlesbrough to win the race to sign winger Karamoko Dembele this summer because of their incapacity to provide Premier League football.
Dembele progressed through the levels at Celtic, most notably participating for their Under-20 team in 2016 at the age of 13. However, in July 2022, after failing to establish himself in the Hoops’ starting lineup, he moved to Brest.
The 21-year-old went on loan to League One team Blackpool in August, and since then, he has been a standout player for the Seasiders as they have pushed for promotion. In 40 games across all competitions, he has scored seven goals and provided twelve assists.
Dembele’s efforts at Bloomfield Road have not gone unnoticed, and HITC reports that the winger is being pursued by Championship teams Leicester City, Southampton, Leeds United, and Middlesbrough as well as Premier League teams Everton, West Ham United, Fulham, Brentford, Wolves, and Nottingham Forest.
It has been a frustrating season for Boro, who are 10th in the table with just eight games left, seven points outside of the top six after losing to Coventry City in the play-off semi-finals last season.
Palmer: Middlesbrough may not be able to sign Karamoko Dembele
Palmer, who spoke exclusively to Football League World, stated that Boro’s Championship position might prove to be a barrier to their attempts to sign Dembele. However, he thinks that if the winger signs with a Premier League team, a loan transfer to Riverside Stadium might be possible.
“Middlesbrough are also said to be keen on signing Karamoko Dembele,” according to him.
“Obviously, you want to perform as good as you can, and sadly, Middlesbrough won’t be playing in the Premier League this season.
“They were in the play-offs the previous season, but they had limited success in the transfer market this year.
You want to play football on a regular basis, yes, but you also want to play at the best level.
“I don’t think Middlesbrough have an edge in offering him regular first team football since it’s at Championship level. If you go to a Leeds or Leicester, there’s a chance you’ll be playing first team football.
“On the other hand, he might sign with one of the Everton or West Ham teams in the globe, who could loan him to Middlesbrough for a season so he can get some experience—keep in mind that Blackpool plays in League One, not the Championship.
“Yes, he’s excelling at that level, but even though he has exceptional technical talent, it’s unclear if he will be able to advance two levels.
“It could be that he goes to a Premier League club like West Ham or Everton, and they view him as a long-term option for the future and he is loaned out to the Championship for the season.”
Middlesbrough must pursue Karamoko Dembele move this summer
Palmer’s assertion that Premier League teams will make it tough for Boro to sign Dembele is hard to argue with, but the winger is precisely what Michael Carrick’s team needs.
Boro’s recruitment has been weak this season after losing players like Zack Steffen, Ryan Giles, Aaron Ramsey, Cameron Archer, and Chuba Akpom in the summer. If they want to contend for promotion the next season, they will need to bolster the team during the forthcoming transfer window.
Dembele might find it alluring to move to Teesside since Carrick has a proven track record of developing players and Boro has been a good platform for gifted youth players in recent years. Players like Marcus Tavernier and Morgan Rogers went on to play in the Premier League after attending the club.
However, Palmer points out that it appears improbable that Boro will prevail in the race given the high level of interest in Dembele.