Middlesbrough came agonisingly close to earning a play-off place in the Championship this season.

Chris Wilder took over the team midway through the campaign and almost led the team to a top six finish.

Some frustrating results at the end of the campaign cost the team the necessary points to bridge the gap to the play-off places.

The gap to Luton Town and Sheffield United was only five points, showing the progress that Wilder brought to the team since his arrival in November.

An impressive FA Cup run will have kept many fans happy despite the disappointment in the league. 

Victories over Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur led to a quarter-final defeat to Chelsea.

This showed the potential of the side with Wilder in charge as they competed well with top Premier League opposition.

Here are 7 steps the club could take this summer to have the perfect transfer window going into next season.

Spence has had a spectacular season on loan with Nottingham Forest, where he has played a key role in Steve Cooper’s side.

The full-back’s performances have caught the eye of Premier League clubs and it is highly likely that he will be sold this summer.

But it will be to Middlesbrough’s benefit to induce a bidding war for Spence’s services given there is only 12 months left on his deal at the Riverside.

Receiving a large transfer sum would be an ideal way to start their summer business.

The money that Boro receive for any fee to sell Spence should immediately be reinvested back into the side.

Considering the 21-year-old has been away from the club for the last year, it is as close to free money as the club will ever receive for one of their players.

His absence will leave no hole in the squad as there is no position that needs to be filled with his departure.

That means the money Boro earns for his sale should immediately be reinvested back into the team.

This would go hand-in-hand with the very simple idea that Wilder has earned the right to be backed by the club’s board.

He has shown at previous clubs that he is capable of leading a team to the Premier League having earned promotion with Sheffield United in recent years.

Wilder has also done a great job lifting the team from the mid-table doldrums to competing for a top six finish.

The board should have faith in the 54-year-old’s ability to improve the club’s standing by giving him funds to spend this summer.

The likes of Folarin Balogun, Aaron Connolly and Andraz Sporar have come into the team this season and performed well for the club.

It remains to be seen if any of the four loaned players have a future at their parent clubs.

There is an option to buy in the agreement for James Lea Siliki that the club can trigger, but perhaps negotiations over the previous three mentioned wouldn’t be a bad idea for strengthening the team’s attack.

There are numerous free agent players that the club could bring into the team this summer.

Stand out names include the likes of Jed Wallace and John Swift, but the market is ripe with exciting talent available as free agents.

This could be an avenue to improve the team without needing to spend too much on big-name signings.

Striking the right balance here can be difficult, but there are definitely players who could improve the current first team that will be available in the next few months.

Matt Crooks ended the season as the club’s top scorer in the Championship, bagging a meagre 10 goals.

While that may be an impressive figure for Crooks individually, that is not nearly enough for a top second division team.

Considering Fulham and Bournemouth were promoted with Aleksander Mitrovic (43) and Dominic Solanke (29), it is clear that a top marksman is needed to earn automatic promotion.

Signing a top striker should be an absolute priority for Middlesbrough this summer.

The loan signings of Balogun, Sporar, Connolly and Lea Siliki all strengthened the team throughout the season.

Nottingham Forest have also shown how young exciting Premier League talent can help boost a side’s potential.

While relying on loan signings can be a hindrance, it can be useful to bring in one or two top academy talents who are ready to develop their games into first team regulars at an elite level.

Continuing to have a steady relationship with big clubs like Arsenal could be valuable in bringing in exciting young players to pad out the squad as the club attempts to push for promotion next season.