Middlesbrough are quickly coming into play-off contention as we near the January transfer window, with Boro now sat in 14th place of the table.
Michael Carrick has certainly made an instant impact on this side. He’s dragged them up and away from the bottom three and now, Middlesbrough are only four points outside the play-off places.
The upcoming January transfer window could yet dictate whether or not the club can achieve a top-six finish this season, but what’s been said about Boro’s January plans?
Middlesbrough’s January transfer plans…
A recent Q&A with TeessideLive’s Craig Johns gave some good insight into Boro’s January transfer window.
He wrote that Middlesbrough owner Steve Gibson will likely back Carrick in January, but that the bulk of any signings made might be loans rather than permanent acquisitions.
Johns also suggested that there could be money to spend on the right player, given the summer sales of Djed Spence and Marcus Tavernier.
Elsewhere, it’s been suggested that Carrick may want to strengthen in central midfield, on the wings, and in attack.
And it’s widely expected that Carrick will at some point make use of his Manchester United connections to bring in some talented youngsters on loan.
United youngster Zidane Iqbal has already been linked with a temporary move to the Riverside, but expect other names to come onto Boro’s radar ahead of January.
Given how early it is into Carrick’s Boro tenure, predicting what the upcoming January transfer window might look like is difficult.
But Middlesbrough certainly have the resources to make some moves happen and under Carrick, the club has a newfound attraction for players, and a newfound, potential connection with the likes of Manchester United.
Boro return to Championship action v Luton Town next month.
