Middlesbrough will allow Martin Braithwaite to depart in the January transfer window, but the club want to recoup the £9m they spent on the forward in the summer of 2017.

Braithwaite has fallen down the pecking order under Tony Pulis at the Riverside Stadium and came close to leaving the club during the summer transfer window, only for his manager to block his route out of Teesside.

According to the Northern Echo, Boro are open to his departure, but will look to recoup the £9m that Garry Monk spent on Braithwaite back in the summer of 2017.

Despite the club’s willingness to sell the 27-year-old, Braithwaite has had an impact this season, featuring in 17 of the club’s 21 fixtures and scoring three goals.

However, Pulis left the Danish forward out of his squad on Saturday, as Blackburn Rovers held Boro to a 1-1 draw.

Pulis watched his side lose Mo Besic to a red card early in the game, with Boro then falling behind to a Charlie Mulgrew goal.

It came down to Britt Assombalonga to rescue a point for Boro, with the former Nottingham Forest forward scoring his sixth goal of the campaign.

The Verdict

Braithwaite isn’t a typical Pulis player and you can see why a move in January could be best for all parties here.

However, looking for £9m, for a player that has scored just three goals this season is very ambitious and probably a price tag that is unlikely to be met.

Thoughts? Let us know!

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