Middlesbrough have been flying high at the summit of the SkyBet Championship and are firmly on course for a first Premier League return since 2009.
Boasting one of the best home records and meanest defences in the division, pre-season promotion favourites Boro have arguably been the team to beat since a ball was first kicked in August.
Optimism is high around the Riverside Stadium that head coach Aitor Karanka can guide the Teesside club back into the top-flight and go one better than last season, after Norwich City ended their hopes in the Wembley play-off final.
A talented squad of players was further strengthened by the January arrivals of Gaston Ramirez and Jordan Rhodes, but some of Boro’s recruitment in recent times has been rather questionable.
Football League World writer Adam Higgins identifies FIVE current Middlesbrough players that the club should never have signed…
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PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE FIVE PLAYERS!
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Abella Damia
Given the solidity of the regular back four last season and the loan signing of Ritchie de Laet last month, Damia has found opportunities hard to come by since his arrival in the summer of 2014.
The 33-year-old had only previously experienced Spanish football in his career and has only appeared seven times for Boro, highlighting his struggles to force his way into Karanka’s plans.
Having yet to feature in a league game this season, Damia may well be pondering his options in the coming months.
Carlos de Pena
With the majority of his career spent at boyhood club Nacional in Uruguay, de Pena had a lot to prove that he can be a hit in a physically tough division and handle the expectation levels.
The attacking midfielder has been a mainstay in the cup competitions since joining on deadline day last summer, with only one outstanding game so far against Wolves in the Capital One Cup in which he had a hand in three goals.
But de Pena has not shown enough to earn a place in the regular Championship team and therefore unable to justify his £2.6 million price tag.
Julien De Sart
He has been in the North East for barely a month but it is clear already that the defensive midfielder will have to work hard to get any time on the pitch.
The 21-year-old’s true ability remains to be seen and the Boro faithful have only seen a five-minute glimpse of the Belgian thus far.
Despite signing a three-and-a-half year deal in January, De Sart may find it difficult to see through the full length of his contract and could benefit from a loan spell elsewhere to gain match practice and build some confidence.
Adam Forshaw
The much-travelled midfielder has had an entire calendar year to settle with Boro but has still not fully established himself as a permanent fixture in the squad, largely because of the unbreakable partnership of captain Grant Leadbitter and Adam Clayton.
Forshaw made the step up from Wigan after a consistent two-and-a-half years at Brentford and has mostly fulfilled the potential first shown in Everton’s esteemed academy.
But the 24-year-old may have some regrets over his move to the Riverside, which has arguably hampered further progress in his career given his current status as a squad player.
As far as Karanka is concerned, Forshaw is merely considered to be an impact substitute or a back-up player to cover injuries, which may adversely affect his overall contribution to the team.
Michael Agazzi
The 31-year-old goalkeeper, a household name to Serie A football fans, made the switch to Teesside in the eleventh hour last summer on loan from AC Milan knowing he would be a third choice behind Dimi Konstantopoulos and Tomas Mejias.
But, having made only 14 appearances in the last two years and the fact he has not previously ventured outside of Italy in his career, the true extent of his capabilities seem to be widely unknown.
Some Boro fans may have hoped that Karanka had searched closer to home to find a keeper with Championship experience who is worthy of providing solid competition for the number one jersey.