George Friend nears new club as Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock reveals the Celtic player he enquired about

Bolingoli has been the subject of a heavy backlash this week after it was discovered he had broken quarantine rules after taking a trip to Spain prior to Celtic’s fixture with Kilmarnock on August 9.

Celtic’s following two fixtures were suspended, with manager Neil Lennon blasting his actions as ‘very, very selfish’ and saying the breach of rules represented a ‘total betrayal of trust’.

But prior to the emergence of Bolingoli’s trip to Spain, Warnock has confirmed that he enquired about the availability of the defender as he looks to continue adding to his Middlesbrough squad.

He told talkSPORT: “I rang Celtic last week asking about Bolingoli on loan! It’s a good job I didn’t get him, isn’t it?”

Warnock was then asked if he would make another offer for the Celtic man, to which he replied: “No, not now. It’s just one of those things.

“We lost about five or six players and we’ve only signed one at the minute.

“We’re trying to catch up and it’s difficult in the current market.”

Meanwhile, George Friend looks set to reunite with former Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka – as he moves closer to a move to Birmingham.

Friend, whose contract at the Riverside Stadium expired at the end of the 2019/20 season, looks set to put pen to paper on a deal at St Andrew’s – bringing to an end his long association with Boro.