Championship outfit Middlesbrough have submitted a €9m offer to Serie B side Venezia for the services of Thomas Henry, according to an update from Gianluca Di Marzio.

The 27-year-old recorded nine goals and three assists in 33 league appearances during the 2021/22 campaign in the Italian top tier last term - but was unable to keep his current side afloat in the division as they finished rock bottom.

Prior to that, the Frenchman was a prolific scorer in Belgium with OH Leuven, registering 45 goals and 12 assists in 78 competitive displays with this record earning him a move to the top tier of Italian football.

Now his current side's time at the top level has come to an end though, this is something Boro want to capitalise on with Chris Wilder's side in desperate need of new forwards going into the new campaign.

Andraz Sporar, Aaron Connolly and Folarin Balogun have all returned to their parent clubs since the end of the 2021/22 season and with this, they only have Duncan Watmore and Josh Coburn as viable first-team options.

Although Chuba Akpom and Uche Ikpeazu remain at the Riverside at this stage, both have been told they can find new clubs after spending time away from Teesside on loan last term.

An offer of €9m would be acceptable to Henry's club for his services - but the player is currently pushing to go to another Italian club in Hellas Verona at this stage.

The Verdict:

Establishing himself as a prolific scorer during the last three seasons, Henry could certainly be a good addition to the cause at the Riverside and potentially one of the first names on the teamsheet.

If they are to spend that amount of money on him, they will surely be using him regularly and though nine goals last season isn't exactly the most impressive total, that was his first season in the Italian top flight and that is still a tally not to be sniffed at considering his side finished bottom of the division.

And it may be easier for him to score in the English second tier, so it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see him smash double figures next season if he did decide to join the Teesside outfit.

One surprising factor about this potential move is his price tag - because that is a lot of money to spend on one player in Boro's current division but this bid may be a signal that Djed Spence's move away is close to being finalised.

Even if it is, it may make sense if they spent an equal amount of money on three new forwards as opposed to bringing in a marquee signing and then relying on free transfers or loanees as other attacking options.