Threesome will not be offered new Boro deals
Middlesbrough have announced their retained list ahead of the 2021/22 season – with a handful of first-team players set to depart.
It has been known for some time that striker duo Britt Assombalonga and Ashley Fletcher will both leave the club this summer following the end of their four-year contracts.It’salsobeenconfirmed thatgoalkeeperJordanArcher, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Marvin Johnson won’t be offered new deals and are set to become free agents.
Johnson’s departure may surprise a few Boro supporters after the 30-year-old made 42 league appearances during the 2020/21 campaign.
Yet most of the winger’s game time came after coming off the bench, while Johnson dropped down the pecking order following the arrivals of Yannick Bolasie, Neeskens Kebano and Mendez-Laing in January.
Warnock spoke to each player individually at the end oftheseasonandtoldJohnson hecouldn’tguaranteetheplayer regular game time, and that he needed to go out and play.
It means Boro will be lookingtosignnewwideplayersafter Kebano and Bolasie’s loan spells came to an end.
Kebano still has a year left on his contract at Fulham so won’t be available for another loanmove.Borowereinterested in re-signing Bolasie, who is available on a free transfer, yet the 32-year-old would have to take a significant wage cut after leaving Premier League club Everton.
Mendez-Laing would also have to sign on reduced terms ifhewastoreturntotheRiverside,afterjoiningBoroonafree transfer earlier this year.
Joe Lumley will officially join Boro when his QPR contractexpiresattheendofJune.