Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder is likely to be backed in the transfer market once again after falling just short of the play-off zone at the end of last term.

Failing to earn a place in the top six would have been a real blow to Boro's players considering they looked like one of the favourites to secure their place in the promotion mix - but they can be pleased with their progress under Wilder thus far.

The ex-Sheffield United boss won't want to rest on his laurels though and this is why his side are likely to be busy in the market once again in the coming months as they look to add the quality needed to be in contention for promotion once again next season.

 

 

Sol Bamba, Lee Peltier and Neil Taylor are all confirmed to be leaving the Riverside Stadium on the expiration of their contracts this summer which means they will need to fill the void left by the trio.

There are likely to be other departures as well on Teesside in the coming months, so not only will Wilder need to level up his squad, but also fill gaps left by others.

Looking at more specific transfer stories, we take a look at three Boro-related sagas that could dominate the headlines throughout this month.

Spence saga

With Isaiah Jones already establishing himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet at right wing-back, it looks as though Djed Spence will be departing the Riverside this summer with no shortage of interest in his signature.

Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, other top-tier English sides and clubs from across Europe are all thought to be interested in a move for the 21-year-old and the former are reportedly ready to pay a club-record fee to land him ahead of others.

He still has two years left on his deal on Teesside though, so Boro may decide to try and create a bidding war for his services, maximising the fee they receive as Boro's hierarchy look to give Wilder the best possible budget for the upcoming window.

This power the second-tier side has at the negotiating table means this saga could drag on through this month and beyond, so it wouldn't be wise to presume he will be sold in the coming days.

Gyokeres links

Football League World understands Wilder's side are currently in the race to recruit Coventry City talisman Viktor Gyokeres, after seeing him score 17 league goals for the Sky Blues during the 2021/22 season.

Although recruiting the Swedish international permanently last summer was seen as a risk by many, this gamble by Mark Robins has paid off and they could now generate a sizeable fee for him during the summer window.

Some would argue he's unlikely to be for sale - but if selling him means Robins gets a lot more to spend in the transfer market this summer - this is a sacrifice Coventry's boss may be willing to take as he looks to take his side to the Premier League.

However, this transfer saga may be a long one with Burnley and Fulham also monitoring his situation ahead of the summer window, though it's currently unclear whether either will make a formal offer for his services.

Iversen battle

Boro are thought to be in the market for a new shot-stopper and that's no real surprise considering both Joe Lumley and Luke Daniels haven't done enough to be Wilder's first-choice man between the sticks for the 2022/23 campaign and beyond.

According to the Northern Echo, Daniel Iversen is one man under consideration after enjoying two impressive loan spells at second-tier rivals Preston North End and with that, the Lilywhites are likely to want him again.

He may not be in Brendan Rodgers' first-team thoughts at Leicester City at this stage though considering he already has Kasper Schmeichel and Danny Ward at his disposal, potentially leaving Boro and Preston to battle it out for his signature.

Spence's likely sale will enable Wilder to tie Iversen down permanently, potentially giving them an advantage over their second-tier competitors with Ryan Lowe likely to be working within a limited budget this summer.

Lowe has even admitted it will be difficult to re-sign the Dane.