Middlesbrough FC transfer rumours: Boro target turned down Leeds United, Chelsea defender wants permanent move plus Sunderland and Rangers track Stewart Downing

With less than two months to go until the end of the season, speculation has already begun ahead of the looming summer transfer window.
Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing hasn't started a game for Middlesbrough since December.Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing hasn't started a game for Middlesbrough since December.
Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing hasn't started a game for Middlesbrough since December.

With their Championship promotion hopes still in the balance, Middlesbrough have attracted plenty of attention in the last few days - with reports of potential in and outgoings at the Riverside.

One man whose been linked with a move to Teesside since the start of the season is former Boro winger Albert Adomah.

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The 31-year-old will see his current contract at Aston Villa expire at the end of this campaign, yet according to Birmingham Live "a new deal for Adomah isn’t on the agenda at the moment.”

It has also been claimed Adomah "was on the brink of a sensational return to Boro on transfer deadline day in August before a move broke down", and the Ghanaian international "shunned interest from Leeds United" last summer.

Adomah has played regularly since the arrival of Dean Smith at Villa Park in October, though his contract situation could renew Boro's interest.

Another man whose name has repeatedly cropped up in the last few days is Stewart Downing, who will see his current Boro deal expire at the end of the season.

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Downing, who played a key role for Boro in the first half of the campaign, hasn't started a league game since December 29 due to a clause in his contract, which will see him gain an extra year if he starts another game for the Teessiders.

The winger's situation has expectantly led to interest, with reports claiming Rangers boss Steven Gerard is considering a move for the 34-year-old.

Yet according to the Northern Echo, Downing 'would prefer to stay closer to his North East home for family reasons' following his move to Boro from West Ham in 2016.

The same report claims Sunderland are also monitoring the situation, with the Black Cats targeting a return to the Championship next season.

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Finally, former Boro defender Kenneth Omeruo hopes he will be allowed to leave Chelsea this summer.

The 25-year-old spent two separate loan spells on Teesside under Aitor Karanka in 2014 and 2015 and has since been loaned out to clubs in Turkey and Spain.

Omeruo joined La Liga side Leganes on a season-long loan at the start of the season and hopes he can secure a permanent move to the Spanish outfit at the end of the campaign.

“The football here suits my style and the club provides a stable platform for me,” Omeruo BBC Sport. “The opportunity to play against the best players in the world is massive for my career.

“There is an option for Leganes to sign me on a permanent basis and hopefully that will happen.”