Newly appointed Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder has already turned his attentions to the January transfer window but admitted he will have to move players on before adding to his squad. 

Any new manager will want to put their own stamp on a squad when they come in and having already signed Neil Taylor on a short term deal, Wilder is looking to add more.

However, because of registration constraints, Boro currently have one slot left in their 25 man squad and Wilder will be hoping to add more than just one player in January.

Speaking to the Gazette, he said: “I’m not going to bring players in that will make us worse. I’m going to look to improve the squad. We are going to have to be smart, myself and Kieran and the board and recruitment team.

“There might have to be departures that happen and I think players understand and accept that. But I want to freshen it up. I want to strengthen in a couple of positions that I believe that we need."

One of the issues that Wilder needs to avoid is breaking Profit and Sustainability rules, something he acknowledged: “There are all sorts of things to think about. The obvious one is financial fair play and the owner, rightly so, has been very strong in his opinion on that.

“As we’ve seen just recently from Reading and Derby, there are rules and we’ve got to stick to them. And we will do.

“If we have to juggle and play smart and make our own money to reinvest, we will do that."

Wilder takes charge of his first Middlesbrough game on Saturday afternoon, when Millwall make the long trip to the Riverside Stadium.

'Boro are set to go into that game 14th in the Championship table, six points off the play-offs places, having claimed 22 points from 17 games so far this season.

The Verdict

Middlesbrough have the perfect manager in charge when it comes to recruitment. Wilder has an incredible ability to identify exactly what his squad needs and find the right player to suit those needs.

His time at Sheffield United proves that. Not only that, but he can get the best out of individuals as well. Looking at the likes of David McGoldrick, Chris Basham, Billy Sharp who were all given a new lease of life late on in their careers under Wilder.

With 'Boro needing to operate under tighter constraints than previous years, Wilder is the perfect man for that job.