Middlesbrough boss Jonathan Woodgate reveals how the club's transfer set-up will work

Middlesbrough head coach Jonathan Woodgate says he trusts in the club’s recruitment team to get deals over the line this summer.
Middlesbrough head coach Jonathan Woodgate says there's still plenty of time to sign players this summer.Middlesbrough head coach Jonathan Woodgate says there's still plenty of time to sign players this summer.
Middlesbrough head coach Jonathan Woodgate says there's still plenty of time to sign players this summer.

With three weeks to go until the end of the transfer window, Boro are still yet to sign an outfield player since the end of last season, despite Woodgate admitting the squad needs strengthening.

Yet following his unveiling last month, Boro were quick to point out that Woodgate is a ‘head coach’, meaning he’ll have to go through the recruitment staff to bring players in.

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When asked how the club will make signings with the new structure in place, Woodgate told BBC Tees Sport: “You have to go through recruitment and they have targets, they’ll look at this all year and they’ll find targets who they can put to the manager.

“We’ll look at all those targets and see what they’re good at, what they’re not so good at, what we can improve on. It’s important the recruitment build up a picture of these players who we can sign.”

Woodgate will also ask for advice from his new-look coaching team, Robbie Keane, Leo Percovich and Danny Coyne when making a decision whether to sign a player.

“I’ve got to take their view, I’ve got to trust their view, I’ll watch the player but they’ll do more work on the player,” added Woodgate on the recruitment staff.

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“I’ll come and watch them then we’ll decide, me Robbie, Leo, Danny what is it we really want in that player. If he’s got all the ingredients that we want in certain areas then we’ll sign him.”

Even so, as Woodgate points out, it’s the chairman who will have the final say when bringing players in and splashing the cash.

“The chairman is the money man isn’t he,” said Woodgate when asked who has the final say. “He’s the one who pays the contracts but we all look at it. We look what can benefit the club long term as well as short term.”

During Woodgate’s first press conference at Rockliffe Training Ground, Boro chairman Steve Gibson said he would back his new head coach in the transfer market.