Premier League season preview: Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough finally secured promotion back to the Premier League in 2015-16, and have been busy in the transfer market ahead of the new season.

INS: Marten de Roon (£12.7 million, Atalanta), Viktor Fischer (£4.2 million, Ajax), Antonio Barragan (£2.3 million, Valencia), Gaston Ramirez (free, Southampton), Bernardo Espinosa (free, Sporting Gijon), Victor Valdes (free, Manchester United), Jordan McGhee (loan, Hearts), Brad Guzan (undisclosed, Aston Villa), Alvaro Negredo (loan, Valencia)

OUTS: Rhys Williams (free, Perth Glory), Jonathan Woodgate (released)

THE STORY: Middlesbrough are back in the top flight for the first time in seven seasons, and manager Aitor Karanka has wasted no time taking advantage of that fact in the transfer market. In total, 10 players have made the move to the Riverside this summer.

Defensive midfielder Marten de Roon is the most expensive of the new signings, and he should fit in well in the middle of the park, but the most eye-catching is probably former Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo, who arrives on loan from Valencia.

Negredo’s career has taken a turn for the worse since he made the move to City in 2013 — he hasn’t managed 10 or more league goals in three seasons now — but he is a big enough name with an impressive enough past record to make this look like a flashy piece of business for a newly promoted team, even if it is only a loan.

Victor Valdes also comes in, bringing to an end a bizarre two-year stint at Manchester United that began normally enough before he wound up in the reserves, where he reportedly refused to play, and was eventually sent on loan to Standard Liege. Still, Valdes is only 34, hardly over the hill for a goalkeeper, and brings genuine winning pedigree to this squad.

The subsequent signing of Brad Guzan, however, has raised questions about the identity of the first choice keeper. The situation is especially interesting because, over the past three seasons, Karanka’s Boro have been, first and foremost, a dominant defensive team. They conceded only 31 goals in 46 league games last term, comfortably the best record in the English Football League.

They did that with Dimitros Konstantopoulos in goal, but it seems unlikely the 37-year-old will remain first choice going forward given the quality of the new signings in his position. While Valdes and Guzan are both upgrades in terms of pure ability, there will be a period of adjustment as they adapt to a new system and their new teammates adapt to them.

But on the face of it, this team is about as perfectly suited to life in the Premier League as any promoted team can be. They are excellent the back, they have a good record at home (they lost only two league games at the Riverside last season), their manager is entering his fourth season with the club and they have added depth in almost every area of the pitch.

Their is a question about this team’s ability to score goals (they scored only the seventh most in the Championship last season, despite finishing second), but they have been proactive trying to address the problem. Karanka is obviously expecting a lot from Negredo, but he will also be excited to see how Viktor Fischer, brought in from Ajax, adapts to life in the Premier League. The 22-year-old winger scored eight goals in 28 Eredivisie appearances last season, and could add some real spark to an attack that has often lacked flair under the current manager.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: Daniel Ayala (L) of Middlesbrough tracked by Diego Fabbrini of Birmingham City during the Sky Bet Championship match between Birmingham City and Middlesbrough at St Andrews on April 29, 2016 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) /

KEY PLAYER: Negredo will have a big role to play and much will depend on whether he can rediscover his old goalscoring form, but center-back Daniel Ayala is more important to the team. Boro will remain a defensive team regardless of how well Negredo plays, and Ayala is their most influential defender. The former Liverpool player was exceptional last season and he will be the leader at the back once more next term. He didn’t exactly impress in his 12 previous Premier League appearances (five for Liverpool and seven for Norwich), but he is older and more experienced now, and could be one of the standout players outside of the top eight.

MANAGER: Karanka has enjoyed an impressive start to his managerial career. After a three-year stint as an assistant to Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid, he made the move to Middlesbrough halfway through the 2013-14 season. In his two full seasons in charge, he has guided Boro to fifth and second place finishes in the Championship, and the best defensive record in the league on both occasions.

The Premier League will of course be his biggest challenge yet, but he has established a real sense of stability and optimism at a club that looked in danger of making their trip to the Championship permanent after getting relegated in 2008-09. Karanka, 42, is one of the youngest managers in the league and he will presumably find some extra motivation in the opportunity to face off against his old mentor, Mourinho, for the first time. In a league where the biggest stars are now the managers instead of the players, Karanka might fly under the radar, but he has a very bright future ahead of him.

Next: Premier League season preview: Arsenal

BEST CASE: Negredo delivers, the defense is able to cope with the extra firepower of Premier League attacks and the team finishes safely mid-table.

WORST CASE: Negredo’s decline continues, the defense struggles and Middlesbrough get promptly relegated.

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