Are Britt Assombalonga and Martin Braithwaite on borrowed time at Boro with Tony Pulis planning changes at the Championship high flyers?
Considering that Middlesbrough have scored just 22 goals in 20 Championship games this season, the lowest tally in the top half of the table, it seems mad that they would sell two of their main attacking options in the January transfer window.
But, according to the Northern Echo, Tony Pulis is looking to bring in a couple of new players in the New Year and could look toraise funds by cashing in on a couple of his big-name, high earners.
The report claims that £15 million record signing Britt Assombalonga is the ‘most likely victim’ having failed to win over Pulis since the former Crystal Palace and Stoke City boss arrived at the Riverside 12 months ago.
Assombalonga has only started 12 Championship games, though he has scored five times, and has lost his place to Jordan Hugill in recent weeks.
There is unlikely to be a shortage of interest, however, given that second tier rivals West Brom and Swansea City were reported to be keen back in the summer according to TEAMtalk.
The Northern Echo adds that Martin Braithwaite could also be on his way out of the North East at the start of 2019. The Danish international has struggled for goals since scoring three times in his first five games of the season and, according to the BBC, he asked to leave at the end of August.
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