Middlesbrough have reportedly agreed a new contract with promising youngster Pharrell Willis according to 90min. 

The midfielder has played his part for the club's Under-18s this season, as they finished fourth in their respective division, only behind Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool, which certainly makes for impressive reading.

90min also report that the likes of Chelsea, Leeds United and West Ham United were all keen on reaching an agreement with Willis heading into the summer.

But Middlesbrough have reportedly agreed a new contract with the 18-year-old, with Boro staff hoping that Willis can push for a place in the first-team in the near future.

He has scored eight goals in all competitions for the Middlesbrough Under-18s team this term, and will be hoping he can go from strength to strength moving forwards.

Middlesbrough's first-team finished tenth in the Championship this season, and will be hoping they can mount a serious push for a top-six finish in the second-tier in next year's campaign under the management of Neil Warnock.

The likes of Josh Coburn, Hayden Hackney and Jack Robinson have all come through Middlesbrough's youth teams, and gone on to feature for the senior side in the 2020/21 season, and Willis will be hoping he can follow in their footsteps.

 

 

The Verdict: 

What a boost this will be for Middlesbrough.

There will have been real concern that Willis would have been heading for the exit door at the Riverside this summer, especially with the likes of Leeds United and Chelsea being keen on reaching an agreement to land his signature.

But it shows that Boro are heading in the right direction if they're capable of keeping their best young talents at the club, despite interest from teams playing their football in the Premier League.

There's evidently a clear pathway into the first-team, and Willis will be hoping that he can force his way into Neil Warnock's plans ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.