WITH Middlesbrough’s promotion having been confirmed a week-and-a-half ago, Aitor Karanka has already begun the process of preparing for life in the Premier League.

Steve Gibson has pledged to provide as much support as possible, and with the new top-flight television deal guaranteeing an income of £100m, there will be a significant transfer kitty at Karanka’s disposal this summer.

What are the key questions the Boro boss will have to answer as he ponders where to invest in the next few months? And what parts of the squad are most in need of strengthening?


Do Boro need a new goalkeeper?

Dimi Konstantopoulos’ rise to the top of Boro’s goalkeeping ranks has been one of the most heart-warming stories of the last few years, and the Greek shot-stopper was a key part of the promotion success, making a major contribution to the tally of 22 Championship clean sheets.

No one would be more deserving of a crack at the Premier League, but at the age of 37, Konstantopoulos is clearly approaching the end of his career and is prone to making the odd mistake.

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Karanka tends to be loyal to those around him, so there is a good chance Konstantopoulos will start next season in goal, but Boro need a Plan B and that is clearly not going to involve Tomas Mejias or Michael Agazzi.

Connor Ripley is due to return from Motherwell this summer, but it’s hard to see the 23-year-old featuring in Boro’s first-team squad next season. Expect Karanka to recruit a new goalkeeper this summer, almost certainly from the continent.


Will the club’s current strikers cut it in the top-flight?

More than any other, this will be the question that determines Boro’s top-flight fate next term. Jordan Rhodes and David Nugent are both proven performers in the Championship, but the former has never played in the Premier League and the latter was dumped by Leicester because they thought he couldn’t cut it at the top level.

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Rhodes will surely get a chance to prove himself in the top-flight, and for all that his perceived limitations are regularly highlighted, his performances in the last two months suggest he is not the immobile penalty-box predator that some would claim. Nugent is more vulnerable, and a realistic offer for the striker could see him leave.

Boro will be on the look-out for at least one top-class striker this summer – probably in the £15m bracket – and could well end the transfer window having spent big money on two forwards.

Karanka’s knowledge of the Spanish and Portuguese markets mean they will always be enticing options, but Boro have also been scouting extensively in France and Holland. Closer to home, someone like Jon Walters could be considered to provide experienced cover.


Should Boro sign Gaston Ramirez permanently?

In many ways, this is the easiest question facing Karanka this summer. Ramirez has proved he can pull the creative strings in the Boro head coach’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, and will be available for nothing once his contract with Southampton formally expires.

There are questions over whether the Uruguayan can cut it in the Premier League, and that will have to be factored into Boro’s thinking. He struggled at Southampton after a reasonably bright start at St Mary’s, and failed to make any kind of impression during an unsuccessful loan spell with Hull.

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However, he is likely to be one of the most attractive free transfers on offer anywhere in the Premier League this summer, and while there could well be interest from elsewhere, Boro will be determined to take advantage of their position at the front of the queue.


Is the back four strong enough to cope?

Boro’s promotion success was built on their defensive strength, and of all the positions in the current team, the back four is the area that looks like it needs least work.

Had the Teessiders not been promoted, Daniel Ayala and Ben Gibson would almost certainly have been cherry-picked by clubs in the top-flight so there should be no concerns about starting next season with the pair alongside each other at the heart of the back four.

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Similarly, George Friend looks ready-made for the Premier League and could well see his stock rise even higher once he gets an opportunity to prove himself against some of the best wide players in the game.

Emilio Nsue could be more vulnerable, and for all that he has improved markedly this season, the remodelled midfielder will have to step up again to cope in the top-flight. It would be a major surprise if Tomas Kalas re-joined, so expect a new right-back to arrive from elsewhere before the transfer window closes.


Should the club be going for English experience or promise from abroad?

The majority of top-flight clubs will be wrestling with this dilemma this summer, and as Newcastle and Aston Villa have both proved this season, getting the balance wrong can have disastrous consequences.

There has been a strong British core to Boro’s success in the second tier, and Karanka will be loath to upset a balance that has proved successful. Having stressed the need for Championship experience when he first took over at the Riverside, it would be a surprise if he did not deem a proven Premier League pedigree equally desirable now he is planning for the top-flight.

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However, he will also be under pressure to deliver the best value possible, and in the vast majority of circumstances, that means looking abroad.

Victor Orta’s appointment to a key technical role in December marked a major shift in Boro’s recruitment policy, and the Spaniard will be a hugely influential figure this summer. Expect most of the club’s shopping to take place overseas.