Middlesbrough’s recruitment team looking at long-term targets for when Neil Warnock leaves the club

The 72-year-old is under contract until the end of the season after 17 months in charge at the Riverside.

Boro have taken a different approach with their recruitment strategy in that time, highlighted by the appointment of Kieran Scott as the club’s Head of Football in September.

Warnock regularly highlighted last season that the recruitment team and members of his coaching staff, assistants Kevin Blackwell and Ronnie Jepson, couldn’t watch games abroad due to travel restrictions, but hopes that will now be less of a hindrance.

“I think we should be doing it now,” Warnock told the Mail.

“Kieran is the one, he watches games and I think he will be over the next few weeks. He was at our game on Saturday.

“He’ll be looking at games between now and January, I’m sure, and will have a list of players.

“We Just have to talk about what I feel we need and I suppose it’s difficult at the minute because they will also be looking at not bringing in too many that Neil Warnock wants and look longer term for the club.

“It’s a matter of helping me at the same time as looking to the future.”

While Boro signed several players from abroad during the summer, including Martin Payero, Andraz Sporar and James Lea Siliki, they also brought in players who had worked with Warnock before – in the shape of Sol Bamba and Lee Peltier.

“We wanted to sign Peltier and Bamba and people like them because we didn’t think the squad was big enough, and they have proved invaluable these guys,” Warnock added.

“I still think there is a place for getting players from England but there are players abroad which the recruitment people are looking at.

“You have got to be careful and we looked at a couple of strikers before we signed Sporar who looked very, very good, and Ronnie went to see them and wouldn’t recommend any of them.

“So it is difficult. You’ve still got to see them live, I think. No doubt we will do one or two games in the coming weeks.”

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