Middlesbrough supporters may be disappointed should talented young defender Rav van den Berg leave the club this summer, but his sale would represent incredible business for Boro.
Middlesbrough, who finished 10th in the Championship last season, have had a busy summer, replacing Michael Carrick with Rob Edwards. They are also being linked with potential transfer targets, with Blackburn’s Callum Brittain and Hull City’s Alfie Jones being the most advanced at this stage. Boro have a strong reputation for their transfer business in the Championship.
So, given the amount of money being spoken about their Dutch under-21 defender Rav van den Berg, it appears that their business is still going strong, and it has now been disclosed how much he landed at the Riverside Stadium for.
Middlesbrough’s Rav van den Berg transfer fee revealed
Van den Berg joined Middlesbrough from Dutch club PEC Zwolle in the summer of 2023, beating off Dortmund, AC Milan, Juventus, and Ajax for his signature. He progressed through their academy system and piqued the eye of both Ajax and PSV, making his debut at the age of 16. The center defender went on to make numerous Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie appearances for them over the course of two years before moving for Boro for an unknown fee on the day before his 19th birthday in 2023.
Rav van den Berg at Middlesbrough (Transfermarkt)
Season
Games
Goals
Assist
Minutes Played
2023-24
34
1
0
2,895
2024
27
0
0
2,126
Van den Berg has continued to develop as a player since arriving at the Riverside Stadium, and it’s expected that there will be multi-million-pound offers for him this summer.
According to Sky Sports, Stuttgart, Wolfsburg, and Werder Bremen are all interested in him, while Brentford, Fulham, and Crystal Palace are also keeping an eye on him. However, the sum Boro paid for him in the first place was kept secret. That was until Saturday, when Sky Sports acknowledged that they only paid €300,000 (£260,000) for his services.
The Championship is a financially unequal division and big sales can be crucial
When it comes to van den Berg’s valuation, some very significant amounts have been bandied around, with journalist Alan Nixon stating that Brentford are considering a £15 million bid for the defender. If the transaction is completed at this price, Middlesbrough will have received nearly a 58-fold return on their initial investment. This is not only an exceptionally spectacular piece of business in and of itself, but it could be extremely beneficial to a team like Middlesbrough.
Financially, the Championship is a tremendously unequal competition, with a minority of clubs benefiting greatly from parachute payments that others do not receive. Anything that can assist close that gap is always greatly appreciated by clubs like Boro. With financial restrictions limiting Championship teams to average losses of £41.5 million over a three-year period, clubs must acquire and sell strategically if they want to optimize revenue.
With clubs that have not been relegated from the Premier League in the last three years earning about £11 million in prize money each year, selling van den Berg for £15 million would represent a big increase in revenue on top of that figure. It’s a lot of money, especially at this level of the game, and Middlesbrough will benefit from it, even if they lose a fantastic prospect in the process.
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