Middlesbrough linked with move for English winger: Potential first signing of the new era?

Championship side Middlesbrough are in the race to sign former Cardiff City winger Kadeem Harris in their quest to beef up their artillery for the upcoming season.

The Star has claimed that Harris is currently on the radar of Boro as he is available for free this summer. He was released by Cardiff City last week and apart from Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday are also keeping an eye on him.

Harris didn’t play any major role in the Premier League especially in the initial stages while he had a couple of highs in the desperate safety push at the end. Reportedly, Leeds United and Aston Villa were also interested to sign him at the end of last year.

The Smoggies are desperate to bring reinforcements in the wide areas for the upcoming season after having failed to earn promotion to the top flight. Harris would be a decent option for them and it is to be seen what transpires next.

Kadeem Harris: Profile

Harris emerged through the youth ranks of Wycombe Wanderers and then steadily progressed to make it to their senior side. In the January transfer window of 2012, he switched to Cardiff City on an initial three-and-a-half-year contract.

Loan spells at Brentford and Barnsley followed and there is no denying that he has a substantial amount of experience under his belt. After seven years with Cardiff City, he was released by them at the end of his contract.

Last season in the Premier League, the 26-year-old managed to bag just three starts and he came off the bench on ten occasions. During his time on the pitch, he scored a goal which came against fellow relegated side Fulham.

Will it make sense for Middlesbrough to sign him?

Harris is a clever winger, with his dribbling skills being one of his strongest suits. He has the knack to cross the ball into the box on a regular basis and is more than capable of creating genuine goalscoring chances for his teammates.

Although he might not be a path-breaking acquisition for the Riversiders, he could turn out to be a shrewd one. He is well accustomed to the English Championship setup and would provide a solid and reliable option given the long and arduous season they will embark upon to mount another promotion challenge.

His sincerity and application and willingness to impress have caught a few people by surprise, not least his former manager Neil Warnock who spoke about the manner Harris fought his way into the reckoning. The manager, when asked, mid-season, on whether he thought the player will feature in his plans at the start of the season, was honest in his assessment.

“At the start of the season I didn’t, but he’s just changed my mind. He deserves it.

“He’s been the best player in training for the last six weeks, he’s been an absolute breath of fresh air for me as a manager.”

However, he needs to improve his passing and his decision making when in possession of the ball. If the scouts see that happening, he might well become Jonathan Woodgate‘s first signing as the manager of Middlesbrough.

Statistics Credits: WhoScored