Boro thwarted in attempts to repeat rav van den berg trick by italian giants

Middlesbrough appear to have attempted to repeat their Rav van den Berg trick this summer, according to reports in Italy. Boro were named in a report of clubs who attempted to sign

Netherlands under-19 international centre-back Shane van Aarle from Dutch second tier side FC Eindhoven this summer. Atalanta, AC Milan, Feyenoord, Utrecht and Cologne were also named in the

report, but it was Juventus who ultimately won the race for the defender. The reports very much match the Boro model and are reminiscent of when Boro signed teenage defender Van den Berg

two years ago. Joining from Pec Zwolle in the same division, Boro struck at the opportune time on that occasion to land Van den Berg ahead of a host of top European clubs, including Juve.

For Van den Berg, the lure of playing regular senior football and developing under the coaching of Michael Carrick and Jonathan Woodgate were the main draws the centre-back sighted for

moving to Boro. He enjoyed a fine first season at the Riverside and won the club’s Player of the Year award. Though injury limited his impact last season, he still had moments of showing his

class. After two years of regular football in the Championship, Van den Berg’s future at Boro this summer is uncertain, with interest still high and only two years remaining on his current

deal. If Boro were to sell, they’d make a huge profit on what they paid PEC Zwolle. As for Van Aarle, the amount Juventus are paying this summer is undisclosed, but believed to be less than

£1 million. He will join their Next Gen outfit who compete in Serie C currently, as part of the club’s ambitions to develop more players from their academy sides. Despite being just 17, Van

Aarle broke into the Eindhoven first team in the second half of this season and made 19 appearances in total. Eindhoven technical manager Marc Scheepers said: "Sometimes things can go

very quickly and Shane proves that here. If you can play so stable and mature as an 18-year-old, the interest of top clubs will come automatically. We offered him a plan for a longer stay in

Eindhoven, but if a club of the calibre of Juventus comes your way, I understand his choice. Ultimately, we can be proud of Shane and our academy."