Middlesbrough defender Nathan Wood is set to make a move on loan to Scottish Premier League outfit Hibernian after they agreed a deal with Boro for his services, according to Football Insider.
Wood has only been involved in one fixture for Middlesbrough so far this term and that came during their 3-0 defeat to Blackpool in the League Cup.
That comes after Neil Warnock made the decision to allow the 19-year-old to go out on loan to League One Crewe Alexandra for the second half of last term. In the third tier, the defender managed to make 12 league appearances and helped them record three clean sheets.
The 19-year-old has the likes of Dael Fry, Paddy McNair and Grant Hall all ahead of him in the pecking order at Middlesbrough this season. That means it is unlikely he was going to be able to force his way into the starting line-up this term.
According to Football Insider, the decision has now been taken to allow him to leave the club on loan to get some vital first-team minutes under his belt.
Hibernian have been keen to bolster their options at the heart of their defence. Now the Scottish Premier League side have agreed a season-long loan deal with Boro for Wood.
The verdict
This seems like a very sensible decision from Middlesbrough and Wood should really benefit from the chance to become a crucial member of Hibernian’s side as they aim to finish inside the top three in the Scottish Premier League this term.
Wood was always going to struggle for game time this season in the Championship at Boro, Warnock knows that his defender needs to go and get first-team game time to learn his trade before he is ready to come into the side at the Riverside Stadium.
The 19-year-old would learn a lot out in Scotland with Hibernian and get the chance to experience high pressured football where the expectation on his side will be to pick up three points on a regular basis.
It would give Wood the chance to lay down a marker to Middlesbrough and show that he is ready to step up for them next term, in the event that Fry leaves the club next summer.