Championship play-off hopefuls Middlesbrough are keeping tabs on Crystal Palace striker Connor Wickham ahead of the January window opening.

The Eagles striker, who has suffered once again with injury and form in the top flight, is set to leave Selhurst Park once again, and according to the Hartlepool Mail, Boro are leading the chase to sign the former Ipswich Town man.

Wickham has seen his career hampered by a host of injuries ever since making a big money move to Sunderland from Ipswich back in 2011, and despite a couple of decent loan spells with the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds, the 25-year-old will still feel he has plenty to prove.

A move to Middlesbrough might well make sense for Wickham, with the club looking to add some goals to their squad as they seek a place in the top six, something which is slipping away week on week as performances under Tony Pulis drop a bit.

Middlesbrough remain one of the big pulls in the Championship though, and will be more than able to cover the potential wages Wickham would demand in order to make the move to the Riverside.

The Verdict

This is the sort of signing I see Tony Pulis making, given Wickham's size and style of play.

The striker has plenty of talent and was superb for Sheffield Wednesday a few seasons back.

Injuries have robbed us of seeing the best of Wickham, but a move like this might finally kickstar things into life and he could well prove a shrewd signing for the Boro.

 Watch EFL on Quest every Saturday at 9pm. Also available live and on-demand at quest.co.uk and via the QuestOD app