Middlesbrough are set to miss out on signing a former Premier League player to a rival Championship club.
Middlesbrough have been one of the more active Championship clubs in the 2024 summer transfer window so far.
Michael Carrick has guided Boro to 4th and 8th place finishes in the division over the last two seasons and will be looking to return the club to the Premier League at the third time of asking.
The former Manchester United star has already been backed quite heavily in the current window, with three signings all but wrapped up.
Luke Ayling, who assisted eight in 19 league games while on loan at the Riverside in 2023/24, has joined the Teessiders on a free transfer.
Ayling’s capture was swiftly followed by a permanent move for Mainz 05’s versatile striker, Delano Burgzorg.
The incomings are set to continue at Middlesbrough next week, with midfielder Aidan Morris expected to wrap up a £3.16m move from Columbus Crew.
Middlesbrough miss out on Max Lowe signing to Sheffield Wednesday
One player who will not be joining Middlesbrough in the current window, however, is Max Lowe.
The left-back spent 2023/24 at Sheffield United, where his campaign was hampered by injury issues.
Lowe is out of contract with the Blades at the end of June and is now set to join Sheffield Wednesday as a free agent.
The Star report that Lowe ‘spoke to a handful of rival Championship clubs’ before deciding to join the Owls, one of which was Middlesbrough.
It is understood that Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl played a key role in convincing the 27-year-old to make the move across Sheffield.
Why Middlesbrough should not worry about missing out on Max Lowe
Anytime a club misses out on signing a player, especially to a rival, fans are likely to be upset.
However, while having Lowe’s Premier League experience on Teesside would have been useful, Boro do not really need him.
Lowe struggled for form and fitness in the Premier League last term, being limited to just 10 outings across the campaign.
As a result, he would likely have needed time to regain his match fitness before he could even be considered for selection by Carrick.
Furthermore, Boro already have plenty of left-back options in their squad heading into 2024/25.
Lukas Engel and Alex Bangura proved themselves as stellar first and second-choice left-backs at Boro last season, while Hayden Coulson has returned to Teesside as the third-choice option after an impressive loan spell with Blackpool.