Middlesbrough sign lowest rated Premier League outfielder

Middlesbrough have announced they have signed Ashley Fletcher from West Ham United in a deal worth £6.5m.

Fletcher only joined West Ham 12 months ago when his contract with Manchester United expired but failed to make any significant impression under Slaven Bilic.

The Hammers’ decision to sign Javier Hernandez from Bayer Leverkusen moved the 21-year-old further down the pecking order and now Bilic’s side have sanctioned his sale to Championship outfit Middlesbrough.

Fletcher is by no means guaranteed first team football at Boro, who have already spent heavily on new strikers this summer. Garry Monk broke the club’s transfer record to land Nottingham Forest striker Britt Assombalonga, while also recruiting Toulouse frontman Martin Braithwaite.

The former United academy graduate made 16 appearances in the Premier League last season but only two of those were made as a starter. He also failed to score in that time.

Moreover, of players that made at least 10 appearances in the Premier League last season, only two outfielders secured a lower WhoScored rating than Fletcher (6.11).