"The American midfielder has proved time and time again with his performances that he's the absolute core of Middlesbrough. Before joining the club, who would've believed he'd never been through a professional academy?"
"Behind Boro's blistering form is the vision and control of a top-class playmaker. And when Jake Ashbourne started showing his set-piece mastery, it made him one of the most complete midfielders in the Championship."
"Middlesbrough have gone from the relegation scrap to the promotion race in a single season! Fans know who to thank — the club's No. 29 shirt is now the best-selling kit in the entire league."
"Coach Mark Marrow has made it clear: Jake is not for sale. He plans to build next season's side around him and push for the best campaign in club history."
"Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger has openly praised Jake, saying his talent shouldn't be confined to the Championship. The Gunners are considering a move."
"Tottenham have also shown interest, though they feel his £5 million release clause is steep, and are weighing up a bid."
Mark Marrow dropped the stack of transfer rumours on his desk.
"They're all vultures," he muttered.
The better Jake became, the more helpless Marrow felt. If only the lad were just a little more average… but there's no hiding brilliance.
Boro had been lucky — he'd found Jake himself, for nothing. And if Jake did leave, the club would only be left with a cheque, no matter how big. You can replace a striker like Onajike if you must, but a midfielder like Jake? Not a chance.
---
Meanwhile, Jake was talking with his agent, Pere.
"Guess which clubs want you now? " Pere grinned, half-joking.
Jake shrugged. "Spurs? Liverpool?"
"Correct. And Arsenal too. I've already turned them all down for now. You're not ready for a giant yet — they'll buy talent every transfer window and shove you into the reserves or ship you out on loan. One bad run and you're gone. No stability, no growth."
Pere leaned forward.
"I'm thinking a solid mid-table Premier League club is the sweet spot — they'll invest in the squad, give you minutes, and let you adapt to the league's pace without chewing you up."
Jake nodded slowly. Pere's words stuck with him. The idea of playing at the Emirates or Anfield was tempting, but he knew deep down the Premier League could be ruthless. Too many careers had been built up only to crumble under the weight of too much, too soon.
Still, the thought of testing himself against the very best — De Bruyne, Thiago, Kroos — lit a fire inside him.
---
Before the next match, Marrow gathered the squad in the tactics room.
"You all know what we're chasing this season!"
"Champions!"
"We want the title!" players shouted back.
"Exactly. Which means our tactics have to change. Jake is our core. We're switching to a 4-4-2 — no more 4-2-3-1. This system will unleash him even more."
The whiteboard was already covered in arrows and position markers. Jake's name sat in the centre, with a wide, shaded zone drawn around him.
The plan? Jake would have total roaming freedom to connect play, use his passing range to full effect, and constantly feed Onajike and Tell — a three-pronged attacking threat.
The catch? Jake wouldn't be doing much defensive work, meaning the rest of the team would need to cover huge ground.
"So, starting now — more physical training!"
The squad groaned. Nobody loved the endurance drills, but the dream of winning the Championship made it worth the pain.
---
Training was brutal. Shuttle runs, timed sprints, small-sided pressing games that left everyone gasping for air.
Jake felt the burn in his legs but refused to slow down. Every lung-busting run was an investment — if he wanted the freedom Marrow promised, he had to earn it.
After the physical work came tactical drills. The new 4-4-2 flowed like water when executed right. With two strikers constantly pushing the back line, Jake had endless passing options. Sometimes he threaded a ball between defenders; other times he clipped a lofted pass over the top for Tell's pace.
Onajike thrived too, bullying centre-backs and linking play.
"This is it," Tell said between drills, sweat dripping. "Feels like we're gonna score five every game."
Jake just smiled. It felt like the shackles were off.
---
After training, Jake stayed behind to work on set pieces. The groundsman stood nearby, collecting stray balls as Jake bent free-kicks into the top corner again and again.
Each strike echoed in the empty stadium, the thud of boot on ball, the rippling of the net. He pictured Saturday's match — the roar of the Riverside crowd, the adrenaline as the ball flew past the keeper.
That night, lying in bed, Jake replayed the day in his head. Pere's warning about rushing into a big move still lingered. For now, Middlesbrough felt like home. The fans, the team, the belief… they were all part of something special.
And yet, he knew football could change in a heartbeat. One injury, one transfer bid too good to refuse — everything could shift.
But there was no time to think about the future. The title race was alive, and his role had just grown bigger than ever.
---
When they tried the new shape for the first time in a full eleven-vs-eleven practice match, the effect was electric. The ball zipped across the pitch with purpose, the forwards constantly in motion, the midfield pushing higher than before.
Jake's influence was everywhere — spraying diagonal switches, slipping through-balls, dictating the tempo. At one point, he even drifted wide to deliver a curling cross that Tell buried with a diving header.
Marrow blew the final whistle on training with a satisfied grin.
"If we play like that on Saturday, the other team won't know what hit them."
Boro's players left the session buzzing. The new system felt dangerous — and they couldn't wait for the weekend to prove it.
Round 23 of the English Championship.
Middlesbrough host Nottingham Forest.
This former king of Europe has spent the season drifting in mid-table obscurity — no chance of promotion, no real fear of relegation.
But tonight, they're about to be caught in the path of a storm.
---
"GOAL!!!!!!!"
"This is Middlesbrough! This is our Onajike! And the man who set him up again is our super midfielder, Jake Ashbourne!"
"Jake's already racked up a hat-trick of assists in the first half alone!"
The commentary team was breathless. So were the fans.
Something about this Middlesbrough side felt different now — fiercer, hungrier.
Marrow's new four-midfielder system was in full flight. The other three midfielders covered almost all of Jake's defensive workload, leaving him free to slice open Nottingham Forest's lines with pass after pass.
Every attack started at his boots.
The Riverside crowd could feel it: the team wasn't just saying Jake was "not for sale" — they were proving it by building everything around him.
And the fans? They didn't want him going anywhere.
---
Jake celebrated with Onajike after the third goal, grinning like a kid.
He didn't notice two pairs of eyes watching from the stands.
Roman Abramovich had only come to Teesside to visit a friend, but when he heard there was a big local game on, he couldn't resist. The Chelsea owner was a pure football romantic, the kind of man who could spend billions on a club simply because he loved the game.
His assistant leaned in.
"The scouting department looked at that American midfielder months ago. Their report said he wasn't the right fit for us, so we didn't pursue it."
Abramovich's gaze stayed fixed on the pitch.
"Check his release clause. I like his style. If he's willing to join, we buy him. Simple as that."
"Understood."
The crowd erupted again as Onajike blasted a shot just wide.
"No problem for them," the commentator said. "Boro lead 3–0 and are cruising toward what could be an incredible eleven-game winning streak. This is turning into one of the stories of the season!"
---
Jake jogged over to Onajike, who was catching his breath.
"Don't keep dropping deep," Jake told him quietly. "Stay high. Save your legs. If you keep coming back, the Coach might think about subbing you off — and you're going to get your chance."
Onajike blinked, then nodded.
"Alright."
The striker had been charging around from the first whistle, desperate to impress. His agent had told him Dortmund scouts were in the crowd tonight. For a player chasing the Golden Boot and a dream move to the Bundesliga, every chance mattered.
But Jake could see the bigger picture.
Onajike watched him walk away and shook his head slightly. Jake might only be sixteen, but he read the game like a veteran.
---
A few minutes later, Jake pulled Tell and Mike In — the two wide midfielders — aside.
"We'll push the attack down the wings for now. Onajike's blown a bit."
The wingers' eyes lit up. More attacks down the flanks meant more touches, more chances for them to score instead of watching the striker get all the glory.
Soon, Middlesbrough's shape shifted. Tell and Mike began running at Nottingham Forest's full-backs relentlessly, forcing the visitors' defence to stretch.
Onajike hovered centrally, moving only enough to keep both centre-backs busy. Neither dared step away to help on the wings — not when the Championship's top scorer was lurking.
---
"Good chance! Mike cuts inside from the right and shoots!"
"Ah! Just over the bar!"
The pressure was relentless. Jake's distribution from deep kept feeding the wide players, giving them wave after wave of opportunities.
Eventually, Forest's resistance cracked. Tell's low cutback found Jake at the edge of the box, who slid a pass first-time into Onajike's path.
The striker, rested and ready, turned and buried it in one motion.
4–0.
"And there it is! Onajike again! Jake Ashbourne's fourth assist of the night — and it's still the first half!"
The Riverside was in chaos, fans singing Jake's name. Onajike grabbed him in a fierce hug. Without this kid, he thought, I'd still be the scapegoat I was in August.
---
The second half began much the same — Boro showing no mercy. Within minutes, Onajike completed his hat-trick after another move sparked by Jake, though this time he didn't get the final pass.
Marrow withdrew Jake on the hour, protecting his legs with the FA Cup coming up.
Final score: Middlesbrough 5–1 Nottingham Forest.
The twelfth straight league win followed a week later, a routine victory over Blackburn. It was a record-breaking run in club history — the whole city was buzzing.
But for Marrow, success brought a problem. The third round of the FA Cup loomed.
Should he risk burning out his best players for a cup run? Or focus entirely on the league title?
The decision would shape the rest of their season.....