Middlesbrough have launched a €9m bid for Venezia striker Thomas Henry, according to a report from Gianluca Di Marzio.

The 27-year-old recorded nine goals for the Italian outfit last term as he enjoyed a reasonably impressive campaign in Serie A despite not being as prolific as he was in Belgium before his move to his current side last year.

Despite his goalscoring contributions though, he was unable to keep his side afloat in the top flight as Venezia finished at the foot of the table, a real blow for the Frenchman who would have been keen to remain at the highest level.

 

 

Another second-tier side in Boro are thought to be interested in luring him to England in their quest to recruit more forwards - and are even thought to have bid a sizeable €9m as they look to beat Serie A club Hellas Verona to his signature.

At this stage, Verona look to be in pole position to finalise an agreement for his services - but Chris Wilder's side's offer is satisfactory and could be enough to lure him to the Riverside if Henry pursues a move to England.

Ahead of this potential move, we take a look at one winner and one loser on Teesside if officials at the Championship club are successful in their quest to sign the 27-year-old.

Winner: Riley McGree

Soccer Football - Championship - Middlesbrough v Stoke City - Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, Britain - April 30, 2022 Middlesbrough's Riley McGree in action with Stoke City's Lewis Baker Action Images/John Clifton EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Recording five goals and two assists in 39 English second-tier appearances, McGree already has a respectable number of goals under his belt as a midfielder and he will be looking to increase his tally throughout next season and beyond.

However, he could still benefit from more assists and if he can improve in this department, he could potentially force his way past Marcus Tavernier in the pecking order and become one of the first names on the teamsheet.

He showed he can provide for others when he shone against Cardiff City for Birmingham last season, supplying two sublime first-half assists against Steve Morison's side and proving to be a real game-changer in the first 45.

The Australian needs to show more of this and if he does, you would certainly back a prolific scorer like Henry to convert some of the chances McGree creates.

If he can, that can only be a good thing for the latter in terms of his assists tally and that's something that will be noticed considering the focus on data in modern football.

Loser: Duncan Watmore

Soccer Football - Championship - Middlesbrough v Stoke City - Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, Britain - April 30, 2022 Middlesbrough's Duncan Watmore in action with Stoke City's Phil Jagielka Action Images/John Clifton EDITORIAL USE ONLY

With every forward that comes in this summer, there's a real chance Watmore could be pushed down the pecking order, with the ex-Sunderland man potentially a bench option next season.

Although one target in Jordan Rhodes may not force his way past him in the pecking order, Henry certainly would considering his pedigree and the amount Boro are willing to pay for him.

This is why Henry's potential arrival is bad news for Watmore, even if it helps to increase his performance levels with a player of the 27-year-old's calibre potentially coming in.

At 28, he's coming into the peak of his career and needs to be playing as much football as possible, so his predicament at the Riverside will be tough when more strikers inevitably arrive.