Middlesbrough and Sunderland will both aim to bounce back at the first time of asking and signing Tammy Abraham and Aaron Mooy would give them a boost.
With North East rivals Sunderland and Middlesbrough both facing up to a stomach-churning drop into the second tier, the focus should already be on planning a promotion push next season.
And there is one obvious area where the relegation certainties must improve upon: goal-scoring. Sunderland’s over reliance upon 34-year-old Jermain Defoe is well established and, with a clause in the striker’s contract allowing him to leave for free if the club are relegated, manager David Moyes must somehow replace the irreplaceable.
And, as the only side to trouble the back of the net on fewer occasions than Sunderland this season, Middlesbrough are also crying out for a reliable goalscorer.
Though they may just have identified the perfect candidate. According to the Daily Mirror, Chelsea have been inundated with loan offers from Championship clubs hoping to take Tammy Abraham on loan next season.
And the newspaper claims that Boro, whose footballing consultant Peter Kenyon previously worked as a chief executive at Stamford Bridge, lead the chase ahead of Sunderland.
Netting a remarkable 26 goals on loan at Bristol City this season, the most ever scored by a teenager in the Championship, the 19-year-old is understandably hot property. And the natural-born poacher could be exactly the player Sunderland and Middlesbrough need to ensure they follow in Newcastle’s, rather than Aston Villa’s, footsteps.
Furthermore, reports in the Sunday People suggest Boro may partner one of the Championship’s best finishers with one of its most consistent creators.
The newspaper claims that Boro are attempting to beat Sunderland to Manchester City-owned Aaron Mooy, the star of Huddersfield Town’s promotion push.
Consequently, the ambitions of both North East clubs could rest upon who manages to snare two of the Championship’s most in-demand attackers. It could well be the difference between fighting at the top and moseying around mid-table.
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