Top of the list is goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer who is yet to agree a new deal, he will be able to open talks with interested parties on January 1st. Boro have been linked with several replacements, including Norwich’s Robert Green, Chelsea’s Carlo Cudicini and the Croatian Tomislav Butina from Club Brugge.
With the spate of recent injuries Boro boss Steve McClaren will be looking to bring in a couple of midfielders and possibly a defender to provide cover through the winter months.
With the money tight McClaren will not be able to purchase all the players he would like, he may have to settle for a number of loan players, but it is important that the momentum is kept up in Boro’s best Premier League season to-date.
Players linked with Boro include Portsmouth midfielder Amdy Faye, Milan’s Giuseppe Pancaro, and Newcastle’s Olivier Bernard, who are both out of contract at the end of the season. Dutch winger Andy van der Meyde, who is out of favour at Inter Milan, has also been strongly linked.
Other players linked include Ian Murray (Hibernian), Herman Hreidarsson (Charlton), Thomas Linke and Sammy Kuffour (both Bayern Munich).
There has also been some talk of wing wizard Stewart Downing moving to Manchester United as a replacement for 30 something Ryan Giggs. Arsenal are also said to be interested in the Boro youngster, while one source suggested Downing would be moving to Liverpool with Harry Kewell moving to the Riverside in return.