“The best place for him to develop” – Claim made on Middlesbrough man amid Everton and West Ham interest

Rav van den Berg has attracted the interest of several Premier League outfits, but is he ready for a move to the top flight yet?

Everton and West Ham United are among the clubs interested in Middlesbrough starlet Rav van den Berg.

According to HITC, the Toffees and the Hammers are keeping tabs on the versatile defender ahead of the summer transfer window, but there are several other top flight outfits that have been scouting the Dutchman, including Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace.

Van den Berg signed for Boro outfit last summer, despite interest from the likes of Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan, and the youngster has cemented himself as a key part of Michael Carrick’s side.

The defender has featured 27 times in the Championship this campaign, and has earned a lot of plaudits for his showings despite still being a novice in the world of football.

This has led to the 19-year-old attracting the interest of multiple top flight clubs, including Sean Dyche’s Everton.

No surprise that Van den Berg is attracting Everton and West Ham interest

FLW’sMiddlesbrough fan pundit Dana Malt is not surprised that the Dutchman is gaining transfer interest ahead of the summer.

However, she believes that Van den Berg remaining at the Riverside for another year might be the most beneficial step for his career for the time being.

“Firstly, I’m not surprised that Rav van den Berg is subject to interest as he’s probably been Boro’s best summer signing this season,” Dana told Football League World.

“He’s just so composed and incredibly mature.

“His performances, although they’ve slightly dipped of late, have overall been strong.

“So, I’m not surprised other clubs are interested in him, and other clubs at a higher level in particular.

“Obviously this was a player that was courted by the likes of Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Roma.

“However, I do think he would benefit from staying at Middlesbrough, mostly for the game time and, secondly, to develop further and refine a few areas of his game that maybe need polishing a little bit.

“The goal we conceded [against Norwich City] from Ashley Barnes was firstly very comedic, and I think typifies the goals Boro have conceded this season, but, secondly, it also came through a lapse of concentration from Van den Berg.

“So, I think we have seen this season more positives than negatives this season, but I just think there’s certain things – like what I’ve just mentioned there for example – that he could maybe work on a little bit and I think Boro’s probably the best place for him to develop that and refine that somewhat.”

Van den Berg would be best staying at Middlesbrough and resisting transfer advances

It has been an underwhelming season for Middlesbrough so far after they almost gained Premier League promotion in the previous campaign, and even though they defeated Norwich in midweek, their play-off aspirations look slim now.

Recruitment has been part of the issue from last summer, but the arrival of Van den Berg is an exception to that, as he has been a great addition to the team and is learning on the job.

It is no surprise that the young Dutchman has attracted transfer interest, especially given he is still only 19 and handling a physical league like the Championship pretty well.

But perhaps another year of consistent game time in the Championship would be more beneficial than potentially being in and out of the starting line-up for a Premier League side, although there could potentially be a few clubs where he would start.