Former Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka has been linked with players he managed at the Riverside Stadium since he took over as Nottingham Forest manager last week.

However, journalist Alan Nixon has tweeted that big wages might be a stumbling block that prevents any of the Spaniard's former players joining him at the City Ground in the January window.

Patrick Bamford, who started his career at Forest and enjoyed his best season of senior football under Karanka, and Adam Clayton, who has interested a number of Championship clubs after being frozen out at Boro under Garry Monk were among the names linked with a reunion with Karanka at Forest.

Boro splashed the cash in the summer and were in the Premier League last season so in some ways, it is hardly surprising that their players might be beyond the reach of Forest, who completed a takeover last summer.

The Verdict

Nixon's update appears to put the emphasis on players such as Clayton and Bamford to lower their wage demands, if they are serious about linking up with Karanka again.

Bearing in mind that those players would also be joining a club with a less realistic chance of promotion than Boro, any potential switch looks increasingly unlikely.

Forest fans - what are your thoughts on any potential swoop for former Boro men? Let us know in the comments below...