This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

AFC Bournemouth are set to pay £10m for Middlesbrough midfielder Marcus Tavernier with £2.5m potentially still to pay in add-ons, according to The Athletic.

The Cherries had been interested in the 23-year-old for some time and despite Everton, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest also being interested in striking an agreement, they have beaten the trio with the midfielder now on the verge of arriving at the Vitality Stadium.

Scott Parker's side's gain will be Boro's loss though, with the Teesside club seeing him become one of their key players as one of the first names on the teamsheet last term, recording five goals and five assists in the process.

 

 

Not only did he impress in the Championship last season - but also in the FA Cup with Chris Wilder's men managing to beat the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur before going out to Chelsea.

His progress has persuaded Bournemouth to fork out on a £12.5m deal for him - but from the selling club's point of view - is this a good deal for them?

We asked some of our Football League World writers for their opinions.

Simmey Hannifin-Donaldson

It is obviously a blow to lose Tavernier, particularly this close to the start of the season.

However, despite reports Middlesbrough were determined to keep hold of him, they must have known this one was coming.

The fee nearly matches their £15m valuation that surfaced recently and as such, it is perhaps one they could not turn down.

What is key now is that money is reinvested into the side.

Obviously they will need a midfielder following Tavernier's exit, and we all know Wilder wants to bring in players in the forward position, too.

If those needs are addressed with this money in the coming weeks, it will have been a good deal for Middlesbrough to do.

Declan Harte

This is an odd one for Boro because the club has already earned a significant fee for Djed Spence so they don't necessarily need to sell this summer.

Considering Tavernier’s importance to Chris Wilder’s side, this fee doesn’t seem an adequate judgement of his value either.

This will need to be reinvested back into the squad quickly so that the team isn’t left short on quality in midfield for the campaign ahead.

It will be a big blow to their promotion chances otherwise.

Tavernier will relish the chance to play in the Premier League and he should fit right in as an important part of Scott Parker’s squad, but it is hard not to feel like Boro could’ve gotten more out of this one.

Adam Jones

This still seems like a reasonably cheap deal for a player that proved to be instrumental to their success under Wilder last term, especially when you consider the fact he still has two years left on his contract at the Riverside.

It could be argued that this window is the best opportunity for Boro to sell him on for a sizeable amount and this is why a sale may make sense - but you just feel they could have generated a bit more.

Retaining the core of their team will be important for stability and they will be able to do so even if Tavernier leaves - but he played a decent part last term and may have been crucial to a potential promotion push during 2022/23.

Thankfully for them, Riley McGree can step up as a starter and with Matt Crooks in the middle of the park, he could help to replace the attacking firepower they will lose with his teammate heading to the Vitality Stadium.

A replacement will be needed though with the club also needing at least two new forwards, so it may take time for a forward-thinking midfielder and a couple of strikers to gel together.

Their situation in the forward department is a big reason why they would have benefitted from having a familiar face like him in his usual role.