Middlesbrough are expected to engage in further talks with West Bromwich Albion this week regarding a loan move for Alex Mowatt, as per a report from the Daily Mail.

The 27-year-old arrived at The Hawthorns last summer following an impressive spell at Barnsley, linking up with former boss Valerien Ismael with the midfielder appearing as one of the first names on the teamsheet under the Frenchman.

However, Ismael was sacked in the early stages of February and a couple of midfield signings have been made by successor Steve Bruce this summer, with Jayson Molumby turning his loan into a permanent deal and Okay Yoksulu linking up with his former club on a free transfer.

The latter's arrival could prove to be particularly costly for Mowatt in his quest to reassert himself as a regular starter, with the 28-year-old's capture in the second tier seen as a real coup for the Baggies.

And his game time has been limited so far this season, with Jake Livermore and Jayson Molumby starting ahead of him on the opening day as he only came on very briefly at the Riverside before sitting on the bench as an unused substitute last night.

With this, Boro have seen an opportunity to pounce in their quest to find a replacement for Marcus Tavernier and are reportedly targeting the Albion man, with talks set to advance this week.

The Verdict:

Mowatt would certainly fit the profile of a goalscoring midfielder following his eight goals and seven assists during the 2020/21 season - and that is a better record than Tavernier managed last term.

However, it will be interesting to see whether he's one of the first names on the teamsheet under Chris Wilder, because more depth in midfield would be ideal regardless of whether he's a specific replacement for Tavernier or not.

Riley McGree will provide him with competition, though it remains to be seen whether the duo can do enough to fill the void AFC Bournemouth's new signing has created with his departure from the Riverside.

If a loan deal is struck, it will be interesting to see what fee is involved if there is any, though this potential agreement is unlikely to be too expensive considering they only want a temporary stay for the 27-year-old.

This will allow them to spend more money on other areas, with their central defence and forward area both arguably being looked at before the summer window closes. The latter area will be particularly important with at least one more addition needed on top of Matthew Hoppe.