Middlesbrough have experienced a pretty average start to the league season, and sit in mid table following the opening five league games of the new term.
Boss Garry Monk has assembled arguably the strongest squad in the division, spending heavily as the Teessiders aim to secure an instant promotion to the Premier League following their relegation last year.
The club are in an excellent position to achieve this, and as the team begins to gel, it is hard to look past the side from the north east for the league title.
Across the pitch, Middlesbrough look solid, with a strike force that would not look out of place in the Premier League, and a midfield capable of bullying Championship sides this semester.
However, there are still those seeking to leave the Riverside Stadium this summer, with winger Adama Traore reportedly keen to quit the club for French side Lille.
Although the side from eastern France are in the French top flight, they are extremely questionable to even challenge for a European spot this year.
Middlesbrough, as discussed, are more than likely to return to the top flight, so why does Traore want to quit the club for the French side?
Lille are probably most famous on these shores in recent years for producing the talent of Eden Hazard, and there are several good players on the books at the French side.
The club won the French title in 2011, but the monopoly of PSG, and the emergence of Monaco in recent years, has seen the club fall into mid table obscurity.
Traore should consider remaining with Boro for the season and helping the club back to the Premier League, where he will experience a significantly higher level of football.
Many of the clubs in the English second tier are better than their French counterparts, and Traore should realise this before attempting to force through a move.
The player could light up the Championship this season and perhaps earn himself a move to a bigger club, and begin to realise the potential he once showed as a youngster at Barcelona’s La Masia academy.
What do you think Traore should do?