Middlesbrough could reportedly be set to battle it out with Everton for the signing of Grimsby Town defender Joe Hope.
According to The Sun on Sunday (20/10; page 65), the 17-year-old has caught the attention of both Boro and the Toffees–with both sides monitoring his progress at the League Two club.
The left-back has yet to make a senior appearance for the Mariners but was included in their Carabao Cup squad for the 1-0 win against Doncaster Rovers in August.
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Boro have struggled this season and are 21st in the Championship as things stand, so the North East club may have their work cut out competing with the Premier League side.
The arrival of a relatively untested 17-year-old is unlikely to have an instant impact on Woodgate's side but there are certainly positives to the club potentially making the signing.
We have outlined three reasons why Boro need to ensure they beat the Toffees in the pursuit of Hope.
He looks like a promising young player.
An athletic left-back that is strong in possession, Hope appears to be a promising prospect–as evidenced by the attention of Boro and Everton.
The teenager is understood to be one of the most promising players in the Grimsby youth team and developed through the Sunderland academy before joining the Mariners last summer.
As he hasn't yet featured for the Grimsby first team it is difficult to tell how he will settle into senior football but it appears signing him could pay dividends for the North East club in the future.
It continues to add to the nucleus of young players that Woodgate has at the club.
Three of Boro's four signings this summer were 22 or younger, which would suggest the transfer strategy under Woodgate is to focus on building a young nucleus in the squad–as does the reported interest in 19-year-old former Ajax forward Deabeas Owusu-Sekyere.
Signing Hope would fit in with that strategy and continue to strengthen that nucleus of young players.
It may convince other players to join in the future.
Boro's poor form and Woodgate's early struggles are likely to have damaged the club's reputation somewhat and made it a less attractive prospect to young players who may be potential targets.
If the North East club are able to beat Everton to the signing of Hope, it may help persuade other targets in the future to join.
It would also help to convince prospective signings that Boro are building something long term and that by joining they could be a part of the rise as the club looks to rediscover its former status.