Heerenveen have agreed a £1.7 million fee with Championship outfit Middlesbrough regarding a deal for winger Mitchell van Bergen, technical director Ferry de Haan told the Leeuwarder Courant.
Boro fans, expect plenty of excitement and a dash of exasperation.
It was a regular sight last season: Van Bergen breezing past an opposition full-back before miscuing his final ball or lashing a shot over the crossbar.
The Heerenveen winger is supremely quick and has skill by the bucketload. What he lacks, however, is a reliable end product – and that is what separates him from the likes of Dusan Tadic and Steven Berghaus, the very best in the Eredivisie.
Then again, if Neil Warnock can coax some consistency out of a player with no shortage of potential, Van Bergen could be the match-winning talent a promotion-chasing Middlesbrough side are looking for.
Can Mitchell Van Bergen turn draws into wins?
The North East outfit have agreed a £1.7 million fee for the Dutch U21 international. Their pursuit has been complicated, however, by the sudden arrival of Ligue 1 outfit Reims onto the scene.
“That club (Reims) only came into the picture after we agreed with Middlesbrough,” explained De Haan.
“Of course, it happens more often that several clubs are interested in a player. That is also the case with Mitchell.
“Now it’s up to the player himself (to choose which club he wants to join).”
Middlesbrough are also trying to get a loan deal for £5.5 million Sporting Lisbon striker Andraz Sporar over the line before next week’s transfer deadline, despite the Slovenian’s less-than-impressive goals-to-game ratio since moving to Portugal from Slovan Bratislava last year.
According to reports coming out of Portugal this week, Middlesbrough would struggle to meet his £20,000-a-week wage demands, meaning a compromise must be reached with Primeira Liga champions Sporting.
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