£3m gamble had a
BORO RIGHT TO TAKE RISK BUT MIDFIELDER’S FAILURE TO ADAPT AND INJURIES MEAN EXIT MAKES SENSE
MARTIN Payero was the exciting risk that just didn’t pay off for Middlesbrough. The midfielder is nearing a return to Argentina this summer, with a loan deal with Boca Juniors not far off being agreed.
The 22-year-old is already back in his homeland to finalise it and reports in South America suggest that there will be no loan fee and a clause enabling Boca to buy at the end of the agreement for an agreed fee.
Boro paid around £3million up-front for the midfielder last summer, with add-ons means the deal could have reached closer to double that.
The performance-related bonuses included in that clearly won’t be met now. In respect, that saves the club some money but perhaps more significantly it means the club’s gamble has failed to pay off in the manner they hoped.
Middlesbrough will likely take a loss on Payero as Argentina’s financial climate is not very strong and even a continental giant such as Boca don’t necessarily have the means to spend huge figures.
His exit will no doubt disappoint some supporters. An exotic signing brought in as part of a rather mismatched summer recruitment drive last summer, it was an exciting move. He had interest from Buenos Aires powerhouses Boca and River Plate and then Italian champions Inter Milan, but Boro won that race.
He was recommended to the club by one of Leo Percovich’s contacts in South America and the club liked what they saw so they took a chance, which is admirable in that it at least shows ambition.
But cutting ties with a player from halfway around the world after just one season, particularly when it has been impacted by injuries, will leave some frustrated. Thoughts of what might have been will linger and some will argue that he deserved more time.
The problem with that is Middlesbrough don’t have the luxury of carrying passengers, which Payero was for spells last season. If they are to return to the Premier League, they need more than what the Argentinian was giving them and Chris Wilder knew it.
The club need to balance the books this summer while trying to build as strong a squad as possible so getting rid of a bit-part player to fund upgrades elsewhere makes sense.
Payero has had ample opportunities to impress. He wasn’t helped by injuries but he also admitted himself he struggled with the intensity of the English Championship.
It’s hard to give a player an opportunity when they’re rarely available.
As well as sustained an impact injury against QPR, he also was affected regularly by niggling injuries. After Wilder arrived, he never looked like he could displace Matt Crooks from the side.
Payero only played 14 times for the club and while he had a decent three-match spell under Neil Warnock, he only scored one goal and provided one assist.
When he would come back from injuries he would be given opportunities to showcase his talents in under-23 games, but even at that level he underwhelmed.
Opportunities have to be earned and Payero did not do enough to earn them. Two Boro managers who saw him day in and day out couldn’t find a place for him in the team.
Middlesbrough don’t
have the luxury of carrying passengers, which Payero was for spells last season
Craig Johns
He was all hype, no substance, and supporters who still feel the club should keep him like the idea of what Payero offers rather than the reality.
Middlesbrough need strength in depth and if letting Payero go means strengthening the squad, it’s ultimately a worthy sacrifice, with his game-time likely to be at a premium given his current standing in the pecking order.
It can’t have been easy for him either, moving to a new country, trying to learn the language and having your only form of communication with everyone through one coach who could translate or a mobile phone app.
Boro did all they could to help with his transition, paying for his English lessons to try and get him up to speed. In the dressing room, Crooks struck up a bond with him and tried to help him integrate as best he could.
It ultimately hasn’t worked out and while the player has not achieved what he – or the club – wanted on Teesside, the prospect of a move back to Europe later in his career is still an option due to his age.
It’s easy to forget that the 22-yearold had only really played a season and a half of senior football before arriving at the Riverside.
The full season wasn’t even worthy of being called that either as Covid meant rather than a usual league competition, Argentina instead ran the Copa Diego Maradona as Payero made his name by unexpectedly helping Banfield to the final.
But the moves he and Middlesbrough made last summer have not worked out.
It’s best for all parties to move on. Even if he were to go to Boca and thrive, it wouldn’t make this decision from Boro now any less sensible or understandable.