Middlesbrough has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence under the stewardship of Michael Carrick, who has propelled the club into the Championship play-offs.
The former Manchester United midfielder has won 18 of his 29 league games in charge, gaining 57 points in the process.
The North Yorkshire outfit has netted 83 goals in the division, the second-most in the division, only behind title-winning Burnley.
One player who has been highly influential in Boro’s incredible rise is on-loan Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer.
Who is Cameron Archer?
The 21-year-old joined the Championship side in January on a deal for the remainder of the season, after managing just 42 minutes of Premier League football without any starts earlier in the campaign.
Nevertheless, despite a lack of top-flight action, the Englishman has been flying in his new surroundings; in 19 second-tier outings, he has registered 16 goal contributions.
Although he has only featured in the league for a matter of months, the England U21 international is an indomitable, menacing, and untameable presence.
This is showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 6% outside of Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty goals per 90, as well as the highest 11% and 10% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, according to FBref.
The attacker has developed a reputation for his potency, physicality, and agility, which has alerted his parent club to his devastating potential.
Reputable journalist Dean Jones has suggested that Aston Villa may look to involve the prodigy next year and see him as a worthy backup or even challenger to Ollie Watkins, but they are set to receive a large degree of interest.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “Is Ollie Watkins leaving? Is he not? Even if he's not, could Archer provide that backup that might be needed next season. I think Archer will actually end up being linked with quite a few more clubs before we even get to the end of the season. By setting the price tag high, I think Villa will be trying to keep a lid on the speculation."
Last year, when Archer was on loan at Preston North-End, his manager Ryan Lowe eulogized over his quality. He said: “Cameron has got an abundance of talent. His quality levels are fantastic, he’s bullish, strong, he can roll, he has got that little burst of pace too.”
Unai Emery has quickly guided Villa to the cusp of European football and with the prospect of attempting to balance more competitions, Archer would be a formidable striking option and would be an excellent challenger to Watkins' starting berth in attack.
