Boro Badger

They'll probably announce it around 6:00-7:00pm once it's all be confirmed and they've made a nice 'welcome back Besic' image for social media...

5:00pm!

Byram would be awesome - he must have been mentioned in nearly every window for the last 3 years. And imagine Karanka's frustration if we swoop in! Do it Boro - we've got the funds.

4 HOURS TO GO!

I'd rather Kalas, he'd be excellent cover for RB/CB in the style we now play.

Yes - I think we're going to be at the back of the queue for loan deals until the end of August. The market will be focused on permanent deals today for sure. Premier League/Championship Clubs can still sell to foreign leagues as their transfer deadline isn't until end of the month...

Yes both Echo and EG say we have an option to make it permanent, let's hope he does well enough that it's a no brainer in 9 months time. Good news! Think he'll do well for us in a Pulis team.

I hope we've got an option to buy with Hugill - has anyone heard anything on that

Hopefully you're right BD and we're still able to get exciting players in as loans. But I still think the selling club would rather sell to foreign leagues than loan to Championship clubs, so we'll be at the back of the queue right until the end of the month. Then they'll be a bidding war between Championship clubs, and we could end up paying high loan fees and 100% of wages just to loan an unwanted player who is out of form or coming back from injury. I just hope the club are not relying on this strategy; letting transfer targets go and hoping for players to fall in our laps as barga

Well unless they're going to use that cash on new contracts for existing players, that money's not going to make much of a difference to them until January anyway, which is ultimately when they'd probably receive it in a loan-to-buy. If they sold in the transfer window, they could use it in the window. And for a business cash is always more valuable now rather than later. We'll have to wait and see if many loan to buy deals materialise in the coming weeks. I'm sceptical on how many Premier League clubs will go for deals like that, and urge Boro to get moving in the transfer marke

I'm not as confident in the loan market as some. The parent clubs won't be motivated to loan out any quality players. If they are looking for a loan to permanent deal, why not just sell now? It's more of a straight forward deal and they get the cash sooner. For example, why would Burnley loan us Vokes? He's an asset worth £12-15m and they will need him for their UEFA Cup run. Why would he want to come here? He can fight for his place in a Premier League team in Europe, not scrap in the Championship away from his home and family. We'll also have to beat off competition from every other

Is it no longer a theory, is it now true? I don't think it's the recruitment team's fault, or Pulis' fault - we've clearly identified targets. Waghorn, Bryan, Besic, Hugill are all affordable for us and we haven't acted with any intent. It does look like Gibson is stalling on making bids for some reason...

No Championship fixtures until Saturday now so we should start seeing some real action tomorrow

If we’re now playing wing backs, why oh why did we sell Christie! We can’t have Shotton playing right wing back surely

He sanctioned a deal for a 31 year old Downing for a transfer fee of up to 7m (5.5m but rising to 7m if we achieved promotion) and wages of 70k a week for 4 years, total outlay of close to 21.56m+ not including promotion bonus etc... As others have said, Downing wasn't/isn't on those kind of wages... Gibson made an exception for a local lad (his favourite) and there were no injury concerns. I can't see Bolasie happening on loan either, as he would be an good option for mid/lower Premier League teams on those terms.

Just a theory, but maybe Gibson thinks the play-offs are a lottery, so what's the point in spending £40m just to probably make the play-offs, when we could spend nothing more and could possibly make the play-offs. We're clearly holding back in the market. Flint and McNair were done early and we're letting other 'targets' go. We didn't push for the Waghorn and Bryan transfers and it doesn't look like we're pushing for Besic either. We're just 'waiting' for a bargain appear and if we don't get one, we don't get one. And I will eat my Boro cap if we sign 29 year old crock Bolasie for £15

Ashley Fletcher with a 7.3 - top work lad! :fist:

What’s Tarmo Kink up to?

Good point - but why sell Bamford as he’s perfect for a front 3? Unless he was giving it big uns wanting to play centre forward

------------------ Randolph ------------------ -- Shotton ----- Fry --- Flint ----- Friend -- ----------- Howson ----- Clayton ----------- -- Chapman -- Braithwaite -- Tavernier -- ---------------- Assombalonga ---------------

£15m for Gibson to Burnley is a joke. To sign a decent centre back we’ll need to spend at least £4m-£7m, so that’s only £8m-£11m gained to lose essentially our captain on the pitch. I can only think Steve promised Ben a move if we didn’t get promoted. Gutted.

Thanks for sharing Lurker. Could be a sad week for our beloved Boro.

We seem to have a 'theme' every transfer window, then throw it out and start again. Let's sign old players... Let's sign Scottish players... Let's sign Spanish players... Let's sign injured players... Let's sign young English players... Let's sign tall players... Let's sign players from the North East... Have I missed any?

Waghorn is left footed, can use his right and is good in the air. He got 16 goals and 13 assists last season, with some of those coming from taking corners and free kicks. He's definitely not a winger, but maybe he's Downing's 'replacement'. He can take left footed set pieces, but also make runs latching on to Traore 's crosses in open play. With Friend anchored to the back four and three in midfield he wouldn't need to track back much. ------------------ Randolph ------------------ -- Shotton --- Flint --- Gibson --- Friend -- ------ Howson --- Clayton --- McNair ------ --- Traore

Traore is as close as we're going to get to this generation's Juninho. If we have to sell him for £18m I will be heartbroken, and there's just no way to replace him even with £30m.