"It would be a miss" - Middlesbrough star wanted by Crystal Palace tipped for potential Riverside exit | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit has been speaking on the Boro player who is the most likely to leave the club in the summer.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Many Middlesbrough futures could be decided depending on the outcome of Boro's Premier League promotion push.

Michael Carrick's side have won three of their last four in the Championship, arresting their dismal slump in form throughout the opening weeks of 2025 which threatened to cost the Middlesbrough boss his job.

With favourable clashes against Luton Town and Oxford United to come either side of the international break, the Teessiders will hope to end the month having reclaimed their place in the top six.

But, the futures of both star and fringe players could hinge on the outcome of Boro's quest for the Premier League this season.

"There's been interest" - Middlesbrough transfer prediction issued for Rav van den Berg

We asked our Middlesbrough fan pundit, Jasper Hudson: 'Which one Boro player feels most likely to leave this summer and why? Will he be missed?'

Hudson said: "I think Rav van den Berg could be most likely to leave us in the summer.

"He's been good when he's played for the most part. Not perfect, he's made a few mistakes, but you can see he's got the ability to play at a higher level.

"There's obviously been some interest before from Crystal Palace. It's just with the injuries that he keeps picking up, a club could come in and make an offer for him which we'd accept.

"I think he's had some really good games, but he's had some average games. That's been a bit frustrating knowing that you've got the player that is not always performing to the level that you'd want and need.

"It would be a miss. Especially with our current set of defenders, he's the best alongside Dael Fry, and we need to invest a lot in our centre-backs this summer.

"We didn't do that enough in January, and it's cost us now with all three of them being out injured. If Rav leaves, we just hope that it gives us a good amount of money to really invest into that defensive area, specifically with the centre-backs."

Rav van den Berg may find Premier League opportunity too big to turn down if Boro miss out on promotion

Having established himself as one of the most promising young centre-backs in the Championship since his move to Teesside in the summer of 2023, Van den Berg could be one of those Middlesbrough players eyeing up a possible Riverside escape route in the summer.

The 20-year-old Dutch youth international has been linked with a move to Crystal Palace, whilst Tottenham have also long been credited as holding an interest in the young Boro defender.

As such, should Carrick's side be plying their trade in the Championship once again next term, then he may well see the potential rebuilding job that could be required at the Riverside as reason to suggest that top flight football on Teesside could be as far away as ever since his move to the club.

He will have aspirations of being promoted to the senior Dutch national team in the future, given he's impressed at Under-19 and Under-21 level, but he may not be handed that opportunity unless he's a Premier League player.