Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder has named four players who can leave the club this month in his pre-match press conference today.
Middlesbrough have already brought in three players this transfer window with Caolan Boyd-Munce arriving from Birmingham City permanently, and Aaron Connelly and Folarin Balogun signing on loan from Brighton and Arsenal respectively.
But with the new additions comes departures, and Wilder has sanctioned the exits of four players this month.
He revealed that Uche Ikpeazu and Marcus Browne would be allowed to leave the club on loan or permanently, with loanees James Lea Siliki and Onel Hernandez also told to find other clubs.
It is reported that Hernandez and Browne are already in talks with other clubs ahead of proposed moves.
Both clubs are unnamed as things stand, although Browne is interesting Championship rivals Sheffield United, as reported on The72 earlier today.
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Wilder revealed, “Marcus Browne is in talks with a couple of clubs on a permanent move.
“James Lea Siliki has been informed that he’s available as well because of Riley [McGree] coming into the group and Onel Hernandez is in talks with a couple of clubs.”
The departures are ultimately an attempt to balance the books at the Riverside. The Premier League loanees Connelly and Balogun will undoubtedly be on higher wages and there is definitely an ever-growing competition for places, particularly with these new additions, meaning playing time will be reduced for those now expected to depart.
Browne, Ikpeazu, Siliki and Hernandez are all seen as surplus to requirements at Middlesbrough. All four players have had very few minutes out on the pitch under the new Boro boss.
Browne has been working his way back from injury, but Hernandez is the only player from the quartet who has started a game under Wilder.
