Middlesbrough are eyeing Jonathan Woodgate as Tony Pulis’ replacement if the club fail to win promotion this season.

TEAMtalk are reporting that the Championship club are opting for the former Boro defender as the current boss’s replacement if a return to the Premier League is not secured this season.

Middlesbrough are currently fifth in the table and are inside the top-six by six points.

After last season’s play-off semi-final heartache, the club is aiming to go one better and make the final at Wembley with an eye of getting back to the top flight.

Boro’s latest accounts made for poor reading, and unless the Teesside club return to the top-flight this summer – there will be drastic cost-cutting measures taken, according to TEAMtalk.

And failure to go up could cause the club to have to sever ties with Pulis who is one of the highest-paid managers outside the Premier League.

Woodgate has impressed at Boro having risen through the ranks both as a player and as a coach.

The 39-year-old has been with the Riverside outfit for a number of years and was promoted to the first-team when Pulis took charge and has since impressed.

The verdict

Those who may feel this is the cheap option are correct.

With money set to be tighter if the club fail to go up then, of course, there will be cost-cutting exercises.

Pulis going is one, but if Woodgate takes over, there will be no expense on getting a new manager from another club or bringing in backroom staff.

Woodgate is a favourite at the Riverside and would get the fans’ backing, should he be appointed and the club fail to go up this season.