As the French link seems to have gone off the boil almost as quickly as it stirred up apparently Boro have agreed a loan deal from Norwich for Onel Hernandez.
Redcar Red don’t forget about the report of signing St Mirren midfielder Jamie McGrath as well.
Come on BORO.
Redcar Red,
Hernandez, another signing who has had a long-term injury according to my Norwich supporting neighbour. Ah well, the ER could be getting busier.
UTB,
John
Boro rumoured to be signing James MCGrath from Hibs
OFB
I think Nathan Wood is off to Hibs on loan while McGrath is with St. Mirren. Apparently Wigan have been sniffing around him but have knocked back a £300K offer from them.
Anyone commenting on the Fernandez loan?
I think he sounds a decent winger from what I remember seeing him for Norwich. I hope he will be good enough to play for us. At least a good quality back up but could well be a starter.
A good window to get cover and debth for our team. I just hope the team play will not be sacrified in introducing the possible 13 new players since last season.
Is Fernandez our first loan signing this season? Sporar perhaps the second - I have lost count as the door is revolving fast at Rockcliffe.
Up the Boro!
It's looking like Morsy is off to Ipswich tonight if he agrees to the move.
The window is nearly closed and still no sign of that player that was supposed to 'shock' Boro supporters - do we have any idea who it was meant to be? Perhaps it was that ageing 36-year old who opted for Old Trafford instead of the Riverside...
Well, Mbappe is definitely NOT going to Real apparently….
On Twitter
Nottingham Forest are in advanced talks to sign Djed Spence from Middlesbrough on loan. Time running out but told it is progressing well. Discussions ongoing over whether that contains an option to buy.
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Siliki skills. Tweeted by Anthony Vickers. I loved it 🥰.
We will have only one big guy up-front in Ikpeazu. Coburn is still a bit in inexperienced and possibly light weight. But we have options in him, Ikpeazu, Watmore and Sporar in there.
We badly need cover at left back if Bola get's injured. Jack Robinson was loaned out, too which must mean we have some one lined up. Somebody without a club - like Watmore was.
Now waiting to see Sporar, Hernandez and Lea Siliki in action. And Payero a bit later around November time.
Hoping to hear RR's comments on the best eleven now 😇. Up the Boro!
It really makes me mad when you see inane comments like Spence going to Nottingham Forest on loan.
Why would we loan a young player with £££ value to a rival championship club?
We are short of squad players and he has shown signs lately of getting more involved and of some use to the team
Rant Over
OFB
Typical reports on Spence as reported in the Northern Echo
MIDDLESBROUGH have received a flurry of late offers for Djed Spence ahead of this evening's 11pm transfer deadline.
Leicester, Southampton and Nottingham Forest are also understood to have been in touch with Boro officials in the last few hours to signal their interest in signing the full-back.
Boro have been aware of interest in Spence throughout the window, but the late approaches have significantly increased the likelihood of the 21-year-old leaving before the transfer window closes.
An initial loan deal is currently regarded as the most likely scenario, although at least one of Spence's suitors is pushing for a clause that would enable them to sign him permanently next summer.
While the transfer window closes at 11pm, clubs can register a deal sheet that would give them another two hours in which to complete a transfer.
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And another report
Nottingham Forest are in advanced talks to sign Middlesbrough right-back Djed Spence, according to James Olley from ESPN. The Reds are frantically trying to get a deal over the line ahead of the deadline later this evening.
It’s been a frustrating day for Forest, although two players have been added. Mohamed Drager has arrived from Olympiacos, whilst Braian Ojeda has checked in from Paraguayan outfit Olimpia.
Spence is a highly-rated defender. At 21 he has 70 appearances to his name at the Riverside Stadium. He has started twice for Neil Warnock during 2021/22 but could now be on his way.
Back in July 2020, Spence was linked with a move to Tottenham. A move at one stage looked likely, although Premier League clubs pulled out of the race to sign him.
Interestingly, although Spence came through the ranks as a defender, Warnock has utilised him on the right-wing this season.
At 21 he is deemed a bright talent and he certainly fits the profile of what new CEO Dane Murphy is looking for when it comes to recruiting players.
Time is running out though. Talks are progressing well over a season-long loan. The only discussion which remains unresolved is whether or not there will be an option to buy.
Spence could lift Forest spirits
People will look at this and presume Forest are landing another right-back. Having landed Drager earlier today, it seems as though Chris Hughton would utilise Spence as a winger.
OFB
totally agree. He is a young player who can fill in various positions at a reasonably low cost. Maybe, like Coulson, Warnock just doesn't trust him in defence and now has a reasonable list of wide options in midfield and up front - including Browne before too long - so he's sending him out to get match practice and see how he goes. All I can hope is that we don't give Forest a 'buy option'. We should look to hang on to any profit made on the improvement of a young player.
UTB
Scunthorpe United have beaten the clock to secure their second signing on transfer deadline day, with midfielder Hayden Hackney the latest to arrive.
The 19-year-old joins the Iron on loan until January from Middlesbrough, and becomes Neil Cox’s 11th and final signing of the summer.
Hackney has been at Middlesbrough since Under-10s level, and has worked his way through the ranks at the Riverside to make it into their Under-18s and Under-23s sides.
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So Blackburn have signed Reda Khadra.
Will his name have a subliminal effect on championship referees.
First team manager Neil Cox spoke to iFollow Iron after Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney became the club's 11th and final addition of the summer.
The highly-rated 19-year-old signs on loan until January and provides further competition to the side after Hull City midfielder Harry Wood joined on a season-long loan deal earlier in the day.
Cox said: "We're glad to get it over the line. He's an attacking midfield player who can get in the box and score goals, and does the dirty side of the game really well. He understands how to win games and I think it's a great signing we've managed to get over the line somehow, as it's one we've been working on for a while.
"We have seen him a lot. He's played a little bit of first team football and I went to watch him the other week. A lot of other clubs have been interested but we managed to pull it over the line with the help of Middlesbrough and his agent.
"He's another player who wants to win, has a great attitude and for him it's about the team and not individuals. He'll bring aggressiveness in midfield, and running power. He's a good passer of the ball and we believe he'll chip in with goals.
"He's raring to go, can't wait to get started and he'll come in on Thursday, meet everyone and get on with it as we get organised for the next game (away at Northampton Town)."
Talking about the two bits of Deadline Day business, Cox concluded: "They wanted to come into the football club straight away. It's never easy getting these things over the line but we've been patient. I wanted to get the right characters in and these two have a lot about them. It's what we need, the energy in midfield, and it makes our squad stronger, keeping everyone on their toes. We've brought some good players in."
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Sam Morsy
His late transfer to Ipswich has divided opinion among fans. Some think it is a mistake to let an important team member go when Boro still have less numbers in their squad than this time last season. There is also a section of fans who think that he is somewhat of a liability and that his tough tackling style incurs the wrath and red cards of referees.
In my own opinion if we have secured a small fee and removed his wages to make room for more creative players in our bidget then that is a good move.
Time will tell but I suspect that the wriggle room in the budget will allow Boro to sign a free agent left back. Possibly one who has played for Boro before? Joe Bennet is available and has been talking to Boro and could solve the problem of left hand side cover and whilst his fitness has been poor over the past few years he has apparently made a good recovery.
What is interesting when talking about budgets is that the Boro have invested more in medical resources to try and negate the injury problems sustained last season in the run up to the end of the season.
So what do other Diasborians think of our transfer window?
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Looking at ins and outs over the whole transfer window.
Strikers.
Out: Britt, Fletcher, Akpom
In: Ikpeazu, Šporar
On paper it's hard to judge but given how badly Britt (in particular) and Fletcher stunk out the place last year, in practice this is a huge improvement. Still short in numbers and a lot may rest on Coburn or Crooks and Watmore "doing a job".
Wingers / attacking midfielders
Out: Johnson, Bolasie, NML, Kebano,
In: Ameobi, Toyosi, (Sivi), Hernández
On paper this is a significant downgrade, especially given that Ameobi shows no sign of recovering from his injury and Sivi was really bought for the U23s. However, the real story is the emergence of Jones while the incomers have a lot of pace. It looks like a far more exciting attacking line up.
Midfielders
Out: Saville, Morsy, Wing
In: Crooks, JLS, Payero
Big improvement on paper though clearly JLS and Payero are yet to start.
Defence
Out: Coulson, (Spence?)
In: Peltier, Bamba
Experienced cover brought in but lacking a left back and possibly a right wing-back
Keepers
Out: Bettenelli, Archer
In: Lumley, Daniels
Jury's out on this but Lumley has the attributes to be a decent keeper and seems to be improving while Daniels seems like a solid back-up.
Overall, this feels like a younger, pacier, more attacking line up than last year. There is a lot of churn here but when you look at all the ins and outs you can see our overall wage bill is probably significantly down. It does feel like that we have finally recovered from Smash the League fever. Whether this is good enough to get us promoted or to the playoffs is hard to tell. It feels like maybe there is too much change for this team to make it this year.
Time will tell but I suspect that the wriggle room in the budget will allow Boro to sign a free agent left back. Possibly one who has played for Boro before? Joe Bennet is available and has been talking to Boro and could solve the problem of left hand side cover and whilst his fitness has been poor over the past few years he has apparently made a good recovery.
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Joe Bennett has signed a two year contract at Wigan. Good for him as I think two years would have been long for us.
Bb definately we need cover at left back. Up the Boro!
I think @deleriad sums it up pretty well. Reading the Gazette's summing up of the window, they do make good point in underlining the clear split between the older hands brought in for stability this season and the younger players brought in with a definite eye to a future profit. In fact, one of the interesting aspects of the club is the steady growth of our cadre of up and coming players out on loan. If even half of these turn into first team players we will have taken several steps forward towards pursuing a more rational economic approach.
Given the very positive starts from Crooks and Ikpeazu, I'm hoping that the two new high profile signings, JLS and Sporar, should make a real difference - assuming that they make it through the international window without getting injured - and we can then take our time with Payero. If they do match up, you can start to see a first eleven of real quality with four of five really solid reserves and some good kids.
UTB
@original-fat-bob Joe has gone to Wigan Bob.
I think we have dodged a bullet there. Dont want another Amiobi signing.
DJED SPENCE
The recent activity surrounding the on off transfer saga of Djed Spence would suggest that there has been some behind the scenes activity by his agent and probably instigated by the player himself.
You can just imagine it can't you?
NW
You've got to liven yourself up lad you're like a fart in a trance!
DS
What ya mean gaffer?
NW
You're always last onto the training ground and t he first off it. You slouch around the place with your headphones on listening to crap music. You ignore the rest of the team and do your own thing. How do you expect to earn the respect of the other players if you don't interact with them?
DS
I'm here to play football and get paid not to be on holiday with mates
NW
Just liven yourself up lad or you'll find my boot up your backside at every training session and believe me kid it will bloody hurt!
DS
Okay gaffer I'll change, I promise that things will change.
DS leaves the office and NW shakes his head looking at the departing player who could with a bit of application and dedication could make it to the very top.
Later that day
DS ON PHONE TO AGENT
Get me out of her now! That old has been is on my back and I'm not having it! I'm a star player everyone says so.
AGENT
Leave it to me I'll sort it for you.
AGENT RINGS NW
Morning Neil, I've had young Djed on the phone to me, he's a bit upset about you harassing him and telling him to move his arse! He's said he wants out of the club and to move on.
NW
You'd better get busy then and find him another club then because there's not much time left to do it!
NW PUTS THE PHONE DOWN AND LAUGHS
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perfect.
so do we actually know what has happened. Has he gone?
By the way, I have a good friend who is a fanatical Ipswich supporter and he says that in last weeks game Coulson was the best of the 19 new players that they have bought in this window.
utb
I respect your opinions more than my own, but a player who has injured several seasons of injuries (various) is not the player for us, we really have no idea, fact. Every minute spent discussing this player was time wasted,