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Middlesbrough are facing a battle to keep hold of star defender Rav van den Berg as we head toward the 2025 summer transfer window.
The Dutchman has been one of Boro’s best players since his transfer from PEC Zwolle in 2023.
Rav van den Berg was named Middlesbrough Player of the Year in his debut campaign despite being just 19 years of age at the time.
His ability to play all across the backline proved invaluable to Michael Carrick amid injury problems, while his partnership with Matt Clarke at the back end of 2023/24 saw Boro lose just one of their last 12 Championship fixtures.
A spot in the play-offs eluded them, however, and amid more injury woes this term, Middlesbrough face another fight to secure a top-six finish, currently sitting three points off sixth.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 6 |  West BromWest Brom | 38 | 13 | 18 | 7 | 48 | 34 | 14 | 57 |
| 7 |  Bristol CityBristol City | 38 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 49 | 41 | 8 | 57 |
| 8 |  MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough | 38 | 15 | 9 | 14 | 57 | 48 | 9 | 54 |
| 9 |  BlackburnBlackburn | 38 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 42 | 40 | 2 | 52 |
| 10 |  WatfordWatford | 38 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 47 | 51 | -4 | 52 |
Should the Teessiders once again narrowly miss out on a chance to secure promotion to the Premier League though, it seems inevitable that Van den Berg will depart in the summer.
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Middlesbrough likely to lose Rav van den Berg without promotion
Hayden Hackney could leave Middlesbrough if they fail to win promotion and that also looks set to be the case for Van den Berg.
Speaking exclusively to EFL Analysis, Graeme Bailey shared his thoughts on how likely Boro are to keep hold of the centre-back if they don’t go up.
He said: “Van den Berg has a huge future, he really is a top prospect but Boro fans know that. I don’t fancy Boro’s chances of keeping him if they don’t go up.”
In terms of where the Middlesbrough stopper could end up, Bailey revealed that a move to the Bundesliga could be the most likely option.
He added: “There is a lot of interest from the Premier League but I am told a move to the Bundesliga could be the most realistic proposition.”
What Michael Carrick said about Rav van den Berg transfer interest
Transfer speculation around Van den Berg has been rife for some time now, with the defender receiving plenty of interest in the summer of 2024.
R.S.C. Anderlecht were linked with Van den Berg back in June, while a host of Premier League clubs have shown interest.
One of those was Fulham and after links to Marco Silva’s side, Carrick was quizzed on Van den Berg’s future back in August.
He said: “Listen if you’ve got good players, there’s always noise, there’s always rumours. Some are true but largely, doesn’t seem to be true.
“Concerns probably not the word but we are aware of what the possibilities can be given the position that we’re in.”
Van den Berg has missed Middlesbrough’s last five league games due to injury but, taking to his Instagram story this week, he posted an interesting update hinting at a return.