Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder remains desperate to address the left centre-back spot before the summer transfer window closes, making this admission to the Northern Echo.

The Teesside outfit are currently in need of addressing their midfield and forward positions, with more depth needed in the former department even after the arrival of Alex Mowatt.

And one or two more forwards may also be required in their quest to have enough attacking firepower to be involved in the promotion mix once again during the 2022/23 campaign, even though Marcus Forss and Matthew Hoppe have already arrived.

But another area Wilder is targeting is their central defence, with the former Sheffield United manager likely to retain his back-three system for the foreseeable future.

They already have five options in this area including Marc Bola - but currently have a surplus of options on the left-hand side with Paddy McNair filling in admirably there during much of last season.

The Northern Irishman, however, switched to a midfield position yesterday and with Bola often operating in a wider area, a specialist at left centre-back could be a key part of their jigsaw.

Wilder didn't mention specific targets, with Hull City's Jacob Greaves reported to be their number one target in this department, but he did reiterate the need for an addition to arrive in this position.

He said: "We’re still looking at that position (on the left of the back three) as a big position to try to fix.

"Bola is going in there and doing the best he can, and I thought he was good in the second half, stepping in, stepping on, keeping the ball and playing more. It brought a bit more positivity to our play."

The Verdict:

A specialist in this area would certainly be useful and a sixth centre-back would be ideal regardless because injuries are likely to creep into play at some point during the season, even with the World Cup giving players a chance to recuperate.

This amount of competition should also help to keep performance levels high and that can only help someone like Dael Fry who has real potential but needs to be put under pressure to push his game to new levels.

Greaves would be a good addition as a player that already has experience in the Championship - but they shouldn't be looking to pay too much to lure him to the Riverside considering they are likely to have other targets.

At 21 though, the Tigers' key man could be a real asset for the long term so it will certainly be interesting to see how far the Teesside outfit are willing to go to get this potential deal over the line.

This focus on a new central defender shouldn't mean they are only keeping one eye on the midfield and forward departments though - because additions in those two areas are still needed.