Patrick Roberts latest as Neil Warnock reveals Middlesbrough have enquired about three or four potential loan signings

Warnock is still hopeful Boro can make a few more additions in the next few weeks but has admitted the club will probably be targeting loan signings due to the uncertain financial landscape football clubs are facing.

After a slow start to the window, Boro have made four signings this transfer window, with Grant Hall, Marcus Bettinelli, Sam Morsy and Chuba Akpom coming in.

Boro and their league rivals have until Monday, October 5 to sign players from abroad and will then have an extra 11 days, until October 16, to complete loan deals from English clubs.

When asked if Boro are now targeting loan signings, Warnock replied: “Yeah, I think so now.

“We were interested in one lad abroad which would have to be done by October 5. But the figures keep changing, and you get different agents coming into it - it’s a minefield at the moment.

“It took us about four weeks to get Chuba. Some of the things going off in that four weeks, dear me, I don’t know how we managed to get it done in the end. If it wasn’t for the lad really wanting to come, I don’t think we’d have managed.

“I can’t see that other one happening now.

“I’ve still enquired about two or three lads on loan. I’m not saying we’ll get three or four on loan, but if we can get one or two of those it would help us out.

Warnock has previously said he wants to sign another striker to compete with Akpom, Britt Assombalonga and Ashley Fletcher, yet it now appears an attacking midfielder is the priority.

"At the moment I’m looking for creativity to help us score goals,” added Warnock.

“I think we can defend alright and we’re not bad in midfield, I'd just like to bring someone in who can turn a game or give us something different. That’s the type I’m looking for.

“Something between a striker and an attacking midfielder, someone who can drop into that hole. They don’t have to be a midfielder, certain strikers have done that for me in the past.

“We just need a little bit more magic to create.”

Roberts, who was on loan at Boro last season, appears to fit that description

Warnock was asked about the 23-year-old a few weeks ago but suggested a move was unlikely, despite his admiration for the player.

Yet the Boro boss has since hinted a move could still be possible.

“Patrick is the type of player that we’re looking at, that type of player,” said Warnock when asked about Roberts by the Mail.

“The situation at the moment is there’s quite a few players and I think clubs are waiting to see what’s going to happen with that loan window, and we are no different to anybody else.

“We’ll be told after the fifth when the international window closes, I’m sure we’ll be given by agents and clubs the players that aren’t in their 25-man squads and then we look at what there is and hopefully we can bring one or two in.”

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