Middlesbrough remain optimistic about their chances of securing Bojan Krkic in an £8m transfer from Stoke City by the end of the month. Although Mark Hughes stated on Friday that he does not want to sell a player disillusioned by a lack of first-team football in the Potteries, Stoke’s manager is believed to be willing to do a deal should he secure his own preferred transfer targets. Much may depend on whether Hughes succeeds in signing Saido Berahino from West Bromwich Albion.
Bojan is unlikely to be part of the Stoke squad for Saturday’s Premier League game against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. That absence is apparently because of a hip problem but may encourage Aitor Karanka in his pursuit of the former Barcelona attacker.
Middlesbrough’s manager is attracted by Bojan’s ability to play on both flanks and through the middle. Karanka, who is also a big admirer of Hull City’s Robert Snodgrass and retains a real interest in the Scotland forward, believes he can return Bojan, still only 26, to former glories after his failure to properly recover his best form following a serious knee injury sustained in early 2015.
It is understood that there are no offers for Stewart Downing although the Crystal Palace manager, Sam Allardyce, has expressed an interest in signing the former England winger. That may have lessened following Palace’s capture of Jeffrey Schlupp from Leicester City on Friday, although Karanka is prepared to let Downing leave this month.
Since recovering full fitness last season Bojan, who has failed to force his way back into Hughes’s starting XI on a consistent basis, is unhappy to have been reduced to a bit-part role and is believed to be keen on the prospect of working with Karanka on Teesside.
Hughes, meanwhile, said talks have reopened with West Brom in an attempt to finally thrash out a deal for Berahino. Stoke have shown interest in the 23-year-old in the past two transfer windows and the manager is keen to end his protracted chase for the striker by reaching an agreement this month.
Berahino has been offered a new contract by West Brom, even though he has failed to make a first-team appearance since September, with the club keen to protect one of their prized assets. But Hughes has resumed negotiations and is seeking an indication over the amount of money it would take to prise Berahino away from The Hawthorns.
“I’m not sure where we are with Saido Berahino,” Hughes said. “We are probably getting to the point where we need to make a decision one way or another.
“I am hopeful that we will be able to get something done. We are interested in him, as a number of other clubs are, but nothing has moved forward from last week. We are still waiting for the player’s club to give us an indication.
“I think we are looking at players who we feel can improve us, not only short-term but long-term too, and we have taken that into consideration with this deal. It is out of our hands unfortunately, but we are ready to discuss the situation and see where it progresses.
“It has been long-winded, and sometimes you lose some enthusiasm when that happens, but I have learned over the years that you have to be patient. We have been looking for a striker who can score 20-plus goals for some time now. They are a little bit scarce on the ground and you have to work hard to get them over the line.”
