Middlesbrough manager Jonathan Woodgate has suggested that the club are interested in securing deals for loan trio Patrick Roberts, Harold Moukoudi and Lukas Nmecha in the next transfer window if they remain in the Championship.

Boro have managed to agree extensions to the loan deals of Roberts, Moukoudi and Nmecha meaning they will see out the rest of the campaign at the Riverside, as Middlesbrough look to secure their survival in the Championship during the last nine matches of the campaign.

The trio arrived in January at the Riverside and helped to add some extra quality and depth to the squad, before the season was suspended, with Moukoudi showing his quality to help strengthen the defence and Roberts in particular impressing in the final third before picking up an injury.

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Speaking to the Northern Echo ahead of Middlesbrough's meeting with Swansea City, Woodgate revealed that Boro would be interested in bringing all of Roberts, Moukoudi and Nmecha back to the Riverside for next season, but that could be dependent on whether the club remain in the Championship.

He said: "We’ll sit down them (Roberts, Moukoudi and Nmecha) and discuss contracts with them at some point. Let’s see what happens in that situation.

"For now, we’re just happy to have them on loan for the rest of the matches, although I think that (the loans being extended) was probably a bit of a given with the clubs in England.

"They don’t want to leave a bad taste, and these kids want to play as well. They don’t just want to leave with nine games to go, so it’s unfulfilled for them. So, it’s not just the clubs, it’s also the players who want to play."

The verdict

You can see why Woodgate would be wanting to keep hold of the trio beyond the end of the current campaign were Boro to survive, with Middlesbrough having been boosted by their arrivals in the January transfer window and both Moukoudi and Roberts in particular looked like they had added some real extra quality to the side.

Middlesbrough would have been slightly concerned over their prospects of keeping hold of the trio for the last nine matches of the season, but they have crucially managed to extend their loan deals - and they could go onto have a major say in whether Woodgate's side can ensure their survival.

Were Middlesbrough to stay up then they will face a crucial transfer window ahead of next season, and given the current financial restrictions on clubs they will need to be sure of the quality of the players they bring in, which is why moves for three players they have already taken a look at and been impressed by would make sense.