£4m Middlesbrough deal with Leicester City was worth it despite Premier League snub | OneFootball

David Nugent played a hue role in helping Boro win promotion to the Premier League, despite being snubbed for a renowned striker when they got there.

Aitor Karanka placed a corner piece of his Premier League promotion-winning team with the signing of Leicester City striker David Nugent in 2015.

Still licking their wounds from a Championship play-off final defeat to Norwich City in May, Boro knew they had the makings of a squad that was capable of returning to the top flight for the 2015/16 season ahead.

But with strikers Jelle Vossen and Patrick Bamford returning to parent clubs Genk and Chelsea respectively, as well as attacking midfielder Lee Tomlin signing for Bournemouth, Middlesbrough needed to replenish their forward ranks.

They did so with a former England international and a goalscoring nemesis, who would play a vital role in what would turn out to be a memorable season on Teesside.

Aitor Karanka found crucial character in Middlesbrough's Premier League promotion story in Leicester's David Nugent

Signed in the summer transfer window of 2015 from the Foxes in a deal worth a reported £4m, Nugent arrived at the Riverside Stadium ready to spearhead Karanka's attack.

Having scored just five goals for Leicester in the Premier League the season before, the then 30-year-old was deemed surplus to requirements at the King Power Stadium, but with a deadly goalscoring record in the second tier, Boro jumped at the opportunity to land a proven marksman.

Nugent would largely establish himself as Karanka's starting centre-forward during the first half of the season, but with goals throughout the team in general being a slight concern, the big-money winter window arrival of Jordan Rhodes on deadline day saw him move more into a rotational piece in the second half of the campaign.

Nevertheless, the veteran striker would still play a part in the majority of Boro's games, and he would be the architect behind some of the biggest goals of Middlesbrough's season. It was his 91st minute header that clinched a vital 1-0 win and three points at home to promotion rivals Hull City on matchday 38.

Nugent then turned provider for two critical strikes. First it was his delivery that was nodded home by Rhodes in the 91st minute to steal a 2-1 victory away at Bolton, before being the one to knock the ball across to Cristhian Stuani to score Boro's only goal in a 1-1 draw with Brighton on the final day of the season, which was enough to seal promotion on that unforgettable afternoon at the Riverside.

In a season where Karanka's side scored just 63 league goals, which was the lowest of any top-six side in the Championship that year, Nugent's eight goals and seven assists were like gold dust to Middlesbrough.

Without them, Boro likely wouldn't have carried enough attacking threat to score enough goals and win enough matches to finish in the automatic promotion spots.

Middlesbrough still received value for money on David Nugent despite Premier League snub

The Premier League beckoned for Boro, and so did the arrival of fresh recruits to bolster their survival hopes.

One of a number of eye-catching signings Middlesbrough made in the summer of 2016 was renowned striker Alvaro Negredo, who joined on loan from La Liga side Valencia.

"The Beast" would become Karanka's main man up-front that year, and his nine Premier League goals was actually a far more impressive return than what it may read given the fact Boro scored just 27 league goals that season, as they were relegated back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

Dislodging the former Manchester City striker out of the starting XI was a task fought in vain for Nugent, as he made just 4 Premier League appearances consisting of 40 minutes on the pitch during the first half of the season.

Now 31, and desperate to continue playing regular football, he was sold to Championship side Derby County for a reported fee of £2.5m in January 2017.

So, despite being snubbed at his chance to represent Middlesbrough in the top flight, the impact he made on winning the club promotion to the Premier League the season before made his £4m transfer fee still look like excellent value for money for the Teessiders, despite taking a £1.5m loss on him just 18 months down the line.

Nugent was invaluable to Middlesbrough during that 2015/16 season, with his big goals and assists, as well as being an excellent character on and off the pitch, forever won him a place in the hearts of Boro supporters.