Middlesbrough midfielder Sam Morsy wishes to remain at the Riverside Stadium this summer despite no guarantees over a starting spot, according to Teesside Live.

The Egyptian international has been the subject of an ambitious enquiry by Paul Cook's Ipswich Town as per the East Anglian Daily Times, with the Tractor Boys aiming to build a squad not only capable of getting back to the Championship, but staying there as well.

Rekeem Harper, Lee Evans and Tom Carroll have all arrived at Portman Road as options in the middle of the park for the third-tier side, but after seeing their midfield from last season decimated by manager Cook's demolition of the squad this summer, they may want another midfielder to come in and provide quality and depth in a bid to overturn their poor recent form.

 

 

However, they are not the only side who are currently interested in a move for the midfielder.

Preston North End, Sheffield United and Luton Town are also reported to be monitoring his situation on Teesside, although the former are unlikely to pursue this deal further as they are now on the verge of recruiting Conor Hourihane (loan) and Adlene Guedioura.

Despite this, Morsy is keen to fight for his spot at the Riverside Stadium, as per Teesside Live, and remains happy at the club despite no guarantees he will be a regular starter for Neil Warnock in the Championship.

This is despite the good relationship the 29-year-old had with current Ipswich boss Paul Cook at Wigan Athletic during their time together at the DW Stadium, with a move to Portman Road now seemingly off the cards after this reported stance.

The Verdict:

At 29, Morsy still has plenty of offer in the Championship and this is the reason why it's no surprise to see Morsy reportedly choosing Middlesbrough over Ipswich Town.

There's certainly an exciting project going on at Portman Road with their rebuild, the quality of players they have managed to bring in and the potential to rip up the third tier if they can turn around their fortunes.

But promotion is not guaranteed and under Neil Warnock, Boro are unlikely to be in any relegation danger this season. In fact, they could be fighting in the top half of the table with Warnock's promotion pedigree.

With a potential chance of reaching the Premier League, something that's unlikely to happen at interested side Preston North End after their poor start, Morsy may as well try to force his way into the first team.

This sort of competition will help to maintain their performances levels that could help in this quest for promotion, with Sheffield United possibly out of the running now due to their other targets, although Luton Town could be a decent move for him in terms of first-team opportunities if the Hatters can build on their 12th-place finish from last term.