Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock was reportedly keen to bring in Sam Clucas in the summer, in a swap deal which would have seen Paddy McNair leave the Riverside Stadium.

McNair was a key player for Boro as they fought off the threat of relegation last term, with the Northern Ireland international scoring six goals for the club.

The 25-year-old was linked with a move to Stoke City in the summer, though, with a potential reunion with Michael O'Neill on the cards, however that failed to materialise.

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McNair, though, has been an everpresent for Boro under Warnock this term, playing in the heart of defence after impressing under the experienced manager.

Speaking to the Gazette, Warnock has revealed that he originally planned to let McNair leave Boro in a swap deal in the summer, but soon changed his mind.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, the player who Warnock wanted to swap McNair with was Stoke's Sam Clucas, however a deal failed to get done due to wage problems.

The Verdict

This would have been quite an interesting swap deal if it did end up materialising.

McNair is a different type of player to Clucas, and he has really impressed since slotting into the back-three under Warnock.

Clucas, meanwhile, is more of a creative, attacking midfielder who scores goals and produces assists, so it would have been interesting to see how he got on if he moved to the Riverside.