Marc Bola has been an exciting up and coming talent at Middlesbrough for some seasons now, but his progress seemed to stall on Teesside under Chris Wilder last season.

The 24-year-old only managed 19 starts in the Championship, with the switch to three at the back and the settled defensive trio in place making it harder for the former Arsenal man to earn regular first team opportunities.

The addition of Ryan Giles, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, will make the left wing back berth unavailable for Bola, should the former stay fit, therefore Bola's career appears to be heading towards a crossroads.

Wilder indirectly referenced the situations of Martin Payero and Bola when he spoke to The Northern Echo.

He said: "There are also a couple we’ve put bombs under in the first team.

"I’ve had it at my previous club where I’ve said to them, ‘You’re not part of the plans’, but for whatever reason they ended up being in the end.

"They came back after the summer and went, ‘I don’t really want to leave this place’, and they got their finger out."

Bola's place in the first team felt very secure under Neil Warnock, and, even potentially in a loan move, he would be a very attractive left sided option for another second tier side, able to play as a left back or left centre back very comfortably.

The Verdict

 

 

Boro should not be looking to offload Marc Bola next season, even if he has to bide his time for some league action.

They are not blessed with enormous amounts of depth at centre back at the moment, and with Neil Taylor leaving this summer and Hayden Coulson potentially preparing to, it would be unnecessary to get rid of Bola as well.

Boro should learn their lesson from what happened with Djed Spence last season, even though it was great for the player's development, it effectively cost Wilder's men a place in the top six.

With two years remaining at The Riverside, Bola still has a lot to give and allowing him to leave could be a decision they would live to regret.