Having narrowly missed out on securing a play-off place last season, Middlesbrough are now facing an uphill battle to prevent the departure of Britt Assombalonga this summer.

According to Teamtalk, the forward is reportedly the subject of interest from clubs in China as well as the Middle East who are considering matching the Smoggies' supposed asking price of £15m.

If this is indeed true, it is imperative that Boro boss Jonathan Woodgate considers both the positives and the negatives that letting Assombalonga leave could have on the club's fortunes next season before accepting any future offer.

Keeping this in mind, we have set out two pros as well as two cons to the Smoggies cashing in on the DR Congo international.

Check them out below...

Pros

Woodgate could use the money to improve his squad in several different areas

Although there is no doubting that letting Assombalonga go will leave a huge void up-front for Boro, there is no reason why Woodgate cannot re-invest the funds from his sale to improve his squad as a whole.

With the wide areas in particular needing addressing following the departure of Stewart Downing, the 39-year-old could end up creating the foundations needed for success if he gets his recruitment spot on between now and August.

Assombalonga may not be good enough to play a role in Boro's long-term plans

When you consider that Boro's target over the coming seasons is to get back into the Premier League, it could be argued that Assombalonga may not be good enough to play at this particular level and thus moving him on could be the correct call to make by Woodgate.

Whereas the former Nottingham Forest ace has demonstrated that he is definitely good enough to play in the Championship, the fact that he has no previous experience of top-flight football suggests that there is a chance that he could struggle to make the step-up.

Cons

He was the Smoggies' only consistent source of goals last season

Boro's only consistent source of goals last season, Assombalonga found the back of the net on 14 occasions in the Championship which is an impressive total when you factor in the lack of quality that was on show on the wings and in attacking midfield.

Therefore, with the forward boasting a fantastic track-record in the second-tier, cashing in on him could be a huge mistake to make as it may lead to the Smoggies moving backwards as a club under Woodgate who will have to rely on the underwhelming duo of Rudy Gestede and Ashley Fletcher to deliver the goods during the upcoming campaign.

Finding a replacement for him will be tough

Whilst Assombalonga will almost certainly command a big fee, Boro may struggle to find a sufficient replacement for him as natural goal-scorers at this particular level of football are few and far between.

Even if Woodgate does narrow down a potential target who he thinks is a worthy successor for the powerful marksman, he could be forced to pay over the odds as prices do have a habit of hiking towards the end of a transfer window as club's are left with little time to recruit new players.