Middlesbrough head of football Kieran Scott is being eyed by Crystal Palace as a contender for their sporting director role, as per Sky Sports.
Middlesbrough are a club with ambitions of getting back to the Premier League. Failure to do so to date has seen pressure grow on some key Boro figures, and manager Michael Carrick has been under fire this season.
Falling short of promotion again this year may well cost Carrick his job on Teesside, with many feeling the squad is more than good enough to fight it out at the top end of the Championship table despite defensive injuries wreaking havoc.
Boro - Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick
Image courtesy of: CRAIG BROUGH/REUTERS.
There are a host of highly talented players on the books at Boro, especially in attack and midfield.
Head of football Kieran Scott has been key in building that, and the Middlesbrough figure is now being eyed for a move up the ladder with Crystal Palace.
Sky Sports reports that with Dougie Freedman leaving the Eagles for Saudi Arabian side Al-Diriyah at the end of the season, Boro chief Scott is in contention for the soon-to-be-vacant role as sporting director.
His recruitment work at the Riverside has made him one of three contenders to replace Freedman. Also on the radar are former Crystal Palace sporting director Iain Moody and Brentford technical director Lee Dykes.
Under-fire at Boro
Middlesbrough have built a talented squad largely thanks to the work of Scott and some welcome profits have been made on big assets. There are more players on the books who will likely see the club make some big gains in the market in the years to come too.
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However, the winter window was a tough one for Boro, and Scott has come under-fire for that.
Boro - Middlesbrough star Emmanuel Latte Lath
Image courtesy of: ED SYKES/REUTERS.
The signing of Kelechi Iheanacho up top has not paid off after the big sale of Emmanuel Latte Lath. Many will also point towards their defensive shortage as something that needed to be addressed more urgently given the part it has played in their downfall this season.
Nonetheless, Scott has a good track record of recruiting prospects to develop into big assets, and that makes him a good fit for the Crystal Palace post.
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The current focus
Though it remains to be seen what the future holds for Scott, the current focus is on salvaging the promotion bid for Middlesbrough.
Boro have found improved form in the run up to the break and must build on that. They still sit 8th in the Championship and outside the play-off spots, but three points separate them and 6th with eight games left.
Bristol City, West Brom and Coventry City look to be the strongest opponents for a top six spot with the likes of Blackburn Rovers dropping away.
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