Middlesbrough in enviable position as next moves plotted out after Michael Carrick transfer wish

Middlesbrough have now completed three of the four major transfers they wanted to this summer, with Aidan Morris becoming the third summer signing.

Joining from Columbus Crew, the midfielder arrives as a replacement for Lewis O'Brien, whose loan spell came to an end at the end of last season with a decision made to not pursue a permanent deal. Morris' Boro move is over 18 months in the making for Boro's recruitment team, who have watched him closely and are excited by the 22-year-old's prospects.

Morris's arrival comes off the back of Luke Ayling and Delano Burgzorg already signing up to be part of Boro's promotion challenge for the 2024-25 campaign. Ayling was seen as key signing after his impressive half-season on loan, with the club having to stave off interest from Sheffield United to land him. In Burgzorg, they've added a versatile forward who adds an alternative dimension to their attack.

READ MORE: Middlesbrough complete Aidan Morris transfer as third summer signing arrives from Columbus Crew

That's three big deals done in what is just the first week of pre-season and should prove valuable for Boro with six weeks still to go until their first game of the season at home to Swansea City. With plenty of time to bed in, it's a great position to be in so early in the summer.

This was never intended to be a busy summer window at Boro either. Off the back of last year's huge overhaul which saw 12 new players arrive, followed by three more in January, Michael Carrick stressed the importance of continuation this time around.

A belief in the players already at the club meant that Boro were only ever wanting to make a few tweaks to their squad. Head of football Kieran Scott has also insisted they have a policy of quality over quantity this summer.

As far as the last of their four major priorities, that's well known to be a striker. Despite the fact that Emmanuel Latte Lath scored 18 goals last season thanks to an excellent final flurry, and they also have Josh Coburn returning from his frustrating injury troubles of last term, they still feel they want another option for the new campaign having been scarred by the struggles they had in periods when both were injured.

Will Lankshear has been linked with a loan from Tottenham and while he is a player Boro have scouted and do like, they are prepared to be patient this summer to monitor the market and see exactly what might be available to them. There is a preference to only use the loan market in situations where there is a realistic prospect of making the deal a permanent one in the future.

Beyond another striker, the feeling right now at Boro is that, providing there are no big-name exits, they'd be more than happy to end the transfer window with only a couple of fringe players moving on to balance the squad.

That being said, their work won't stop there, as they will continue to monitor the market and remain open to the possibility of strengthening further if something appealing and financially viable were to present itself to them.

It's now well-known that one such deal of that nature would be the return of Ryan Giles, whose future is shrouded in uncertainty right now, following his loan spell at Hull City in the second half of last season. That deal has now become a permanent one, but that's believed to be due to an obligation in the initial loan deal.

While Giles will first get the opportunity to prove himself to new Tigers boss Tim Walter, the left-back is said to be keen on a return to Teesside after his successful loan spell here in the 2022-23 campaign. While Boro won't be paying anywhere near £4m for him this summer, they will be willing to negotiate a cut-price fee or loan deal with Hull if the left-back finds himself unwanted by them this summer amid struggles with PSR.

Boro will be looking to move a few fringe players on in the remainder of the window, with Carrick keen not to have too big a squad this summer where it would make it hard to convince every player they were part of his plans and had realistic prospects of adequate game time. Sammy Silvera is close to sealing a loan move to Portsmouth.

However, there are certain key players they are adamant they don't want to sell, despite interest from elsewhere. In such cases, only astronomical offers would force them to sell, and they will of course then have to react to such a scenario by finding a replacement. It's a situation they're not currently thinking too much about though, with Steve Gibson said to be 'bullish' in his stance on the matter. They have a huge database of scouted players to turn to, however, should it be required.

The most vulnerable position they have right now is that of Riley McGree, who has just 12 months to run on his contract. Boro would like him to extend his deal at the Riverside but earlier conversations saw the two parties not reaching an agreement. If McGree doesn't commit to a new deal before the end of the transfer window, Boro may have to consider a sale before his value starts to decline, and in such an event, they would need a replacement.

Finally, it's not just in the event of certain departures that could prompt them to change their plans and make further additions. Boro are still two weeks away from their first of six friendlies this summer and Carrick has often noted the need to be flexible in an ever-moving landscape like football.

Be it because of an unexpected long-term injury or feeling something is lacking during the summer friendly matches, Boro will be ready to react to such matters and address them as and if Carrick sees fit. Right now, however, there's a real sense of excitement with the early business they've been able to do.