Middlesbrough have missed out on reported striker target Alberto Cerri, who instead has finalised a loan move to Serie B side Como according to Football Italia.
Middlesbrough had been linked to the Cagliari forward last week, although the Championship club will now have to look to other transfer targets.
The initial report stated that Middlesbrough were in a tug of war with Como in Italy, but it is the Serie B side which have landed his signature for the current campaign.
Cerri has played at the highest level but has spent his entire career in his native Italy. He has plied his trade for Parma, Pescara, Cagliari, and SPAL in Serie A, whilst also having experience in the second division with the likes of Virtus Lanciano and Perugia.
Would he have fit in at Middlesbrough?
Middlesbrough are in the market for a striker or two following the departure of both Britt Assombalonga and Ashley Fletcher.
At present they have just two senior strikers at their disposal with Uche Ikpeazu and Chuba Akpom. However, the latter is likely to leave the club on a temporary basis in the coming weeks.
It is a position that Boro boss Neil Warnock is prioritising and so Cerri would certainly have fit the bill if he had signed.
What other striker targets are Middlesbrough looking at?
Middlesbrough have been linked with several players before and during the current transfer window, many of which have since gone elsewhere.
However, in recent weeks the likes of Andraz Sporar from Sporting Lisbon, Hatayspor striker Aaron Boupendza, Midtjylland’s Sory Kaba, in-demand Manchester City man Liam Delap, and Andre Gray from Premier League new boys Watford, amongst others, have been linked.
