Transfer deadline day is upon us! Jonathan Woodgate’s first January window as a manager will slam shut at 11:00pm tonight.
It has been a reasonably busy one, with three signings and a few loan exits also. Patrick Roberts, Lukas Nmecha and Dejan Stojanovic all arrived on Teesside this month.
There have been a few links flying around social media lately, but nothing concrete as of yet. Let’s get started!
Boro’s Deadline Day
Former targets make moves
Whilst Middlesbrough have been chasing two of their targets today, other players previously linked with the Teessiders have packed their bags and changed allegiences.
Marcus Maddison, who Boro supposedly put in a ‘cheeky bid’ for, has joined Hull City on loan, while James Chester has also signed a loan move, to Michael O’Neill’s Stoke City.
Stoke also reportedly had a bid for Aberdeen striker Sam Cosgrove rejected today, and Filip Benkovic could be on his way to Ashton Gate after Leicester City brought in Ryan Bennett from Wolves as his replacement.
Morrison saga begins to un-Ravel
The BBC, through reporter Simon Stone, say that Ravel Morrison has agreed to join Boro on loan for the remainder of the 2019/20 season.
Middlesbrough would be the 10th club in just eight years for the former Manchester United academy product.
Morrison will be hoping the influence of ex-players such as Jonathan Woodgate and Robbie Keane will help get his career back on track.
What do you make of this news? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!
Another departure confirmation
Ben Liddle has completed a six-month loan move to Scunthorpe United this afternoon.
Liddle, who recently featured in Middlesbrough’s FA Cup third-round replay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, joins Paul Hirst’s side who currently sit 16th in League Two.
Moukoudi deal nears completion
More reports in France are stating that Middlesbrough have their man in Harold Moukoudi.
EuroSport France reporter Manu Lonjon has tweeted that the deal is done. And we are just waiting for official confirmation from the clubs.
‘H Moukoudi (ASSE) loaned to Middlesbrough: It’s done! Ready without OA. Officialisation to come!’
These reports in France state the deal is a loan with no option to buy. Is this Boro’s first deadline day signing?
Boro in for £10 million Man Utd target?
In today’s “WTH” report of the day, Argentinian news outlet San Lorenzo Primero claim that teams in for 20-year-old striker Adolfo Gaich include: Club Brugge, Benfica, Schalke, Manchester United and… Middlesbrough?!
Earlier this week, the Belgian outfit were close to completing a €12.7 million move to the Bruges based club, but the move has stalled and other teams have moved in.
If I were you, I would take this report with an industrial sized pinch of salt. A strange one at that.
More details on a possible Moukoudi move
First reported by Bernard Lions for L’Equipe, Harold Moukoudi looks set for a move to Teesside.
The article, in french, details that Moukoudi requested to leave the French first division club and the deal was to be done – ‘in the next few hours,’ though this was written yesterday.
Does anyone have the details of any private jets flying from St-Etienne-Loire to Teesside?
First deal of the day
Boro have made their first move on deadline day, allowing Ste Walker to join League Two promotion chasers, Crewe Alexandra on loan for the rest of the season.
Walker played in the Carabao Cup tie against Alexandra earlier this season, when Boro were knocked out of the competition on penalties.
All the best to Walker! Hopefully he can do well and fight for a starting place next season.
Middlesbrough to miss main man?
In the Gazette article detailing the possible Boro moves for Harold Moukoudi and Ravel Morrison, Dom Shaw reveals that Ben Gibson was the main defensive target for the club this transfer window.
If the former Boro captain is to move, it looks likely that he would link up with another ex-skipper in Nigel Pearson, who is reportedly keen on taking Gibson to Vicarage Road.
Bringing Ben back to Boro would have been a tough task, especially with FFP restrictions on player wages. This may be ‘the one that got away’ today.
Boro set for a busy day?
The Gazette report that ‘there is a growing confidence at Rockliffe’ that Middlesbrough will be able to sign both Ravel Morrison and St Etienne defender Harold Moukoudi before tonight’s deadline.
While Morrison has followed Boro on Twitter this week, Moukoudi has been linked with other English sides in this window and it looks like Steve Gibson and company could be about to secure their men.
Are we about to see some imminent movement on Teesside?
Premier League midfielder ‘on his way’ to Boro
The link between Middlesbrough and Ravel Morrison seems to grow stronger this morning, as Sky Sports reporter Tim Thornton tweets that the former QPR and Birmingham midfielder Morrison is ‘on his way’ to Teesside.
Daily Mail reporter Sami Mokbel has written that Middlesbrough boss Jonathan Woodgate was a ‘major influencing factor’ in Morrison’s decision ‘to join Boro.’
This could be one to keep your eyes out for!
Overnight links
Heading into today, the main name floating around appears to be Ravel Morrison. The former Manchester United midfielder, currently with Chris Wilder’s Blades, is reportedly a target for Jonathan Woodgate according to Alan Nixon of the Sun.
Former Teessider Jordan Jones is reportedly also interesting the hierarchy at Middlesbrough, if reports north of the border, in the Daily Record, are to be believed.
Views from the Holgate 