St. Pauli would like to bring Middlesbrough keeper Dejan Stojanovic back to the club for next season, although they may not be able to afford a permanent deal for the stopper.

The 27-year-old joined Boro in January 2020 but he has struggled to establish himself as a regular, whilst he failed to impress in the limited opportunities he was given.

Therefore, Stojanovic joined the Bundesliga II outfit on loan in the winter window this season and he has enjoyed a very successful spell. In his 14 games so far, St. Pauli have won ten times, with the giant keeper recording four clean sheets.

As a result, it's perhaps no surprise to see that Andreas Bornemann, who is sporting director of the German club, told Hamburger Morgenpost that they want to bring Stojanovic back, although he conceded a permanent transfer may not be possible.

"Dejan does a really good job and has become an important support for the team. He feels comfortable here and would like to stay. A lot depends on how Middlesbrough plans with him and how financially a possible transfer envisions."

The update adds that a fee of 500,000 euros, less than half of what Middlesbrough paid for the keeper, would be too much for St. Pauli.

The verdict

The goalkeeping situation is one that needs to be addressed at Middlesbrough this summer because Marcus Bettinelli hasn't impressed, so his loan is unlikely to be extended.

Even so, you can't imagine that Neil Warnock will given Stojanovic another chance, so a new number one will be signed, which should allow the Austrian-born keeper depart.

It's good for Boro that he is doing well out on loan, but these comments suggest a lot of negotiations are going to be required to sort a deal with St. Pauli.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.