Discussions with the recruiting department to finalise the club’s summer transfer intentions will take up the majority of ROB EDWARDS’ first week as Middlesbrough’s head coach.
The club was working on the last few elements of Edwards’ appointment yesterday, and he is expected to be confirmed as Boro’s new manager in the coming days.
The 42-year-old will inherit a side that finished tenth in the Championship under Michael Carrick last season, with the Boro hierarchy ready to make moves in the transfer market to try to strengthen the first-team group at Rockliffe Park.
Recruitment discussions, led by sporting director Kieran Scott and head of recruitment Chris Jones, are already at an advanced stage, with targets identified and, in some cases, approached, but there was an understandable reluctance to complete any transfers until the new head coach was in place.
Once Edwards’ appointment is confirmed, he will be asked for his opinion on existing targets and perceived weaknesses within the current squad. Discussions over transfers and squad development formed a key part of the interview process, but Boro officials will be keen to get Edwards’ thoughts on specific players before bids are formally tabled.
A number of rumoured targets have been mentioned in recent days, but the vast majority do not form part of Boro’s plans for the summer.
The Teessiders have been heavily linked with a possible summer move for Sam Greenwood, but they have no interest in offering the Leeds United winger a return to the Riverside. Greenwood spent the 2023-24 season on loan with Boro, but will not be heading back to Teesside this summer.
Similarly, while Wycombe Wanderers forward Richard Kone has been touted as a Boro target, there is no interest in the £10m-rated 21-year-old. Signing an attacker is a key priority this summer, but Boro’s new recruit will not be Kone.
There is also no interest in Salford City forward Kelly Nmai, who was flagged up as a Boro target yesterday. The Teessiders, who are ready to make a rapid move for their preferred options once recruitment discussions are completed, have not held talks over the 21-year-old.
Kelly Nmai, a forward for Salford City who was mentioned as a Boro target yesterday, is likewise uninterested. The 21-year-old has not been discussed by the Teessiders, who are prepared to move quickly for their desired choices after recruitment talks are done.
