Middlesbrough have returned to the Premier League after 7 years in The Sky Bet Championship. They were promoted to the elite league after having finished second in tier 2 of English football. Now they have an upheaval task of adapting and surviving in the toughest football league on the planet.
Manager Aitor Karanka it seems is dealing with the demanding nature of it by trying to acquire stars who could easily provide him a solution. The manager is interested in signing experienced candidates such as Robin van Persie, who could be a soft target this transfer window and Victor Valdes, who was confirmed after a medical at the Riverside.
Karanka, reportedly, has now made a move for Robin van Persie who plays for Fenerbahçe but has been unsettled at the Turkish Süper Lig club. The club, according to sources, is willing to listen to offers and Middlesbrough could be treating themselves with a shock move.
RVP scored 20 goals in 45 appearances last season but Middlesbrough would consider his past record more tempting. RVP has 11 years of experience in the Premier League having scored 190 goals in 280 games for Man Utd and Arsenal combined.
His experience would surely give the newly promoted side a measure of stability required to cope with the challenges that they would be facing.
Victor Valdes is a player that Middlesbrough swiftly got their hands on, thwarting rival interests from clubs like Sporting Lisbon and Besiktas. His agent met manager Karanka and the transfer concluded immediately after the medical, giving Boro their fifth signing ahead of their campaign.
The head coach told the club's official website: "You can't imagine how delighted I am because it's not usual to bring players like him to recently-promoted teams.
Valdes with the newly promoted side, will have a chance to cement his position and reputation in the Premier League which he failed to do under Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford. He was loaned out to Standard Liege after having a fall out with the manager who considered him a misfit.
To revive such a historic club, owners and fans sense a good opportunity with manager Aitor Karanka at the helm. Co-incidentally, Karanka makes an entry into the top flight in the same year as Mourinho’s comeback, who he was an assistant to during his stint at Real Madrid. Karanka plans on helping the club return to its best by using tricks similiar to Mourinho’s trade.
"When I arrived here, some people thought I was crazy to say I wanted to get this club in the Premier League again,” said Karanka, "But now, three and a half years later, Middlesbrough Football Club is going to be in the position where this club deserves to be.”
