Former Middlesbrough boss looking to raid former club for attacker

Monk, who brought Johnson to the Riverside Stadium last summer, is keen to reunite with the pacy attacker at Birmingham.

Reports from the Midlands suggest that the 27-year-old has been deemed surplus to requirements by Tony Pulis and would be keen on a move to the city of his birth.

Birmingham themselves are desperate to strengthen their options out wide and Johnson - who played just eight minutes for Boro after Pulis took charge - is deemed to fit the bill.

The winger moved to Teesside last summer from Oxford United on a three-year deal, commanding a fee believed to be in the region of £2.5million.

Indeed, before his move to Boro he was linked with Birmingham and the Blues may look to swoop again this summer.

Monk has made no secret of his admiration for the attacker who impressed him when coming off the bench early in his Middlesbrough career.

Speaking after Johnson impressed in a win over QPR last season, Monk was full of praise for the winger.

“He’s come on in earlier games and showed what he’s got," said Monk.

"We had the international break to work hard with the players and to get Marvin up to speed with how we work from a tactical point of view and the little bits he needs to know so he was up to speed on that.

“The games he came on he showed he had an understanding of what was needed from him as well as his own talent."