2. George Friend – Middlesbrough
Friend has long been a commanding presence on the left-hand side of the field for Middlesbrough and played a key part in helping the side finally get promotion back to the Premier League. He’s become a fan favourite with the Boro fans and he’s also won numerous club Player of the Year awards because of his performances.
In the top tier of English football he has continued to impress in the left-back spot for the club. However, he is now having to compete with Fabio, who has come into the side this year and begun to impress in defence himself.
The two of them are currently battling it out to claim that left-back spot as their own – and both are neck-and-neck when it comes to appearances for the club this year – and Friend could decide to relinquish the spot to Fabio and search for a new team where he can become the main left-back.
Friend isn’t the youngest player at 29-years old and soon entering his thirties but he is certainly talented. His dribbling ability is exceptional and, as previously mentioned, he is able to command the left-hand side of the pitch in the games that he plays.
He can bomb forward and set up goals and get the ball into dangerous areas for his teammates or he can drop back and put in a defensive shift to save his side from conceding. He is a valuable asset for any club to have and he could be available for a decent price too.
He could easily make a swift transition to another Premier League side if he was to leave or, if he wanted to help another side clinch promotion, he could drop back down into the Championship. However, I feel Friend is a proven Premier League player now, he’s a good left-back to have and a move to another Premier League side where he can become a permanent fixture would be a good move.
Potential club to move to – Swansea could be a good move if they survive the drop or a team like Watford could use him well.
