EFL expert names what Middlesbrough need this summer as he tips them to be contenders next season

Sam Parkin believes Middlesbrough can be serious contenders for promotion next season as long as they strengthen in the right areas this summer.

Parkin, who along with Adrian Clarke provides weekly expert analysis on the EFL on their What The EFL?! Podcast, has enjoyed watching Boro for most of the season. And though their recent nine-game unbeaten run came to an end on Monday evening when they lost 4-3 against Leeds United at the Riverside, he saw plenty to be optimistic about.

Reflecting on the game on this week's episode, the former Chelsea academy graduate said: "I think huge credit should go to Middlesbrough in this game. That's five goals they've scored against Leeds this season and I think I said a while ago, it's good fun watching Middlesbrough this season.

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"They're entertaining. They have a go and I think they have the league's most in-form striker at the moment alongside maybe [Sammie] Szmodics and the Coventry two, in Emmanuel Latte Lath. He's outstanding at the moment.

"So I would 100% fancy Middlesbrough next year, with a few additions in the right departments. They're possibly a little short at the moment. They could probably do with a wide player and an option at right-back. Dijksteel had a difficult time, to put it lightly, up against some of those Leeds forward players. But credit where it's due to Middlesbrough because there is a lot to like about Leeds."

Asked more on Latte Lath, as a former striker himself, Parkin continued: "I think he's a very good player. I remember he was scoring more sporadically at the start of the season and was being criticised by lots of people for maybe being a little wasteful in front of goal.

"I didn't see that. I saw the quality finishes that he was sticking away. And now they're flowing more freely and you can see he's a really good player. He's got a real determination to get his shots off, and he's got decent awareness too. The dummy for the first goal, that's outstanding. On Ampadu, he just kidded that he was going to let fly, enabling the space to open up.

"Obviously the header is amazing too and now I think he looks like a really good player. Had he not been injured for a month to six weeks from January, I think we'd be talking about Middlesbrough maybe being in the play-offs again."