Transfer news: Why Manchester City's Patrick Roberts was allowed to leave Middlesbrough and join Derby County on loan

The 23-year-old signed for Boro on a season-long loan deal from Manchester City in October but had made just four Championship starts in the first half of the campaign.

The Teessiders were happy to keep Roberts after manager Neil Warnock challenged the player to stay at the Riverside and fight for his place.

Yet the arrivals of Yannick Bolasie from Everton, free agent Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Fulham’s Neeskens Kebano would have bumped Roberts even further down the pecking order.

The Manchester City man will now join Wayne Rooney’s Derby side on loan, with the Rams sitting just five points above the Championship relegation zone.

Boro have also allowed midfielder Lewis Wing and defender Nathan Wood to leave the club on loan, with the pair joining Rotherham and Crewe respectively.

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