TWTD understands Middlesbrough are keen to take Blues striker Martyn Waghorn back to the North-East this summer and are among a number of Championship clubs eyeing a move for the 28-year-old.

Waghorn joined Town from Rangers for a bargain £200,000 last August and enjoyed a hugely successful first season at Portman Road.

The South Shields-born frontman was the Blues' top scorer with 16 goals and also picked up 11 assists. No one else in the Championship was directly involved in more goals.

The former Sunderland, Leicester and Wigan man’s form with Town didn’t go unnoticed elsewhere in the Championship and we understand Tony Pulis wants to add the ex-England U21 international to his Boro squad ahead of 2018/19.

Birmingham City are also among those to have been keeping tabs on Waghorn, who is contracted to Town until the summer of 2019 with the club having an option for a further year, along with Nottingham Forest, who were linked last week.

Whether the Blues would be willing to part with one of their most highly prized assets, who quickly became a fans’ favourite after moving to Suffolk, remains to be seen.

However, new boss Paul Hurst evidently wants to put his stamp on the squad and Town have already shown that they are willing to allow senior players to move on if an acceptable offer is received, Adam Webster having joined Bristol City for an initial £3.5 million rising to £8 million yesterday.

Webster’s departure and the exit of youngster Ben Knight to Manchester City for just over £1 million, which is set to be confirmed in the next few days with the fee agreed and permission from the Premier League for the move to go through granted, means the Blues are under no pressure to sell and they would almost certainly want a very significant sum for one of last season’s top Championship performers.

Photo: TWTD

CBlue added 14:24 - Jun 29 I was okay with the Webster sale but we have to keep Waghorn. 16 goals and 11 assists he is a match winner. We can't replace that on our budget. I would say season over if he was sold. Selling is basically = zero ambition. Boro can do one.
12

MaySixth added 14:24 - Jun 29 Let's for once not drop our trousers..... Money isn't everything
4

Suffolkboy added 14:32 - Jun 29 One can sense the fear and uncertainty factor here, and he was a terrific acquisition who gave everything and rewarded fans and teammates last season ; but PH will be only too aware of the fans and team needs ,and of the danger that uncertainty creates .So we must place our trust in him , as already he's shown uncompromising certainty in his own judgements in bringing in a number of players most of us would not have known .Just hope he doesn't let ' power ' go to his head and go too far, BUT I can't think ME would have chosen such a character . Up the Town !

3

ChrisR added 14:37 - Jun 29 If BB and DW go , to be replaced by lower league non entities , then so will I ...after 52 years.
1

mparkyn added 14:40 - Jun 29 Keep calm - speculative journalism at best I suspect. Someone from the North East who had a great season linked with Boro !,
1

WaltonBlueNaze added 14:45 - Jun 29 ME tell them to go and do one.
1

SheffieldTractor added 14:47 - Jun 29 How long left on his current contract?
-1

Barty added 14:48 - Jun 29 Probably just pure speculation but it would be a massive blow to lose Martyn
2

blue75 added 14:50 - Jun 29 Every player has a price if Middlesborough offer enough he'll be sold. Personally I'd give him a new long contract would be hard to replace not impossible.
5

agentp added 14:51 - Jun 29 So what about. Marcus doesn't want to sell, so we probably won't sell unless Waghorn wants to go in which case probably best he does. I guess that's too realistic for the flat earth supporters who seem to think there has to be this great big conspiracy all of the time. Come on, conspiracy theorists. Click the down arrow.
0

itfc1981 added 14:57 - Jun 29 If he goes it shows its just the same old spiel from Evans. OK Webster was injury prone - but no side with ambition would let Waghorn go after his efforts last season.
4

bluejake78 added 15:02 - Jun 29 GTFO
0

casanovacrow added 15:07 - Jun 29 We have been in this division so long that we are financially handicapped and cant say no to reasonable offers. Players would just go for nothing at the end of their contracts as we can't compete with wages of the best players at this level. What is a reasonable figure to Evans though?
0

Bluetone added 15:09 - Jun 29 So is this going to be another "Money, money , money season in the Marcus Evans world" season?
0

Taricco_Fan added 15:14 - Jun 29 Money talks.
0

GlebeTractor added 15:15 - Jun 29 Please no, 20m plus. Only player to reach double figures on goals + assists wasn't he?
-1

OwainG1992 added 15:19 - Jun 29 Offer Waggy a new deal now. Get Bart to sign his contract or improve the offer. We need to keep the KEY players.
5

rugbytomc added 15:30 - Jun 29 YES Super_Cooper. How did he go for so much?! And if we based all transfers on his one, why did Webster only go for £3.5m?!
0

BobbyBell added 15:41 - Jun 29 It seems to me that maybe the agreement with MR and PH is that if you want to spend you must sell first. If Hurst wants his own squad I can understand that and maybe we will have to bite the bullet and trust in him to build a squad that he wants. I would be said to see Waghorn go but we must let Hurst manage things his way. I remember being horrified when Bobby Robson sold David Johnson but in came Paul Mariner and as good as Jonty was Mariner was just awesome. Maybe Hurst has some aces up his sleeve.

2

oioihardy added 15:46 - Jun 29 don't you dare touch my waggy
2

FromIpswichToPhoenix added 15:47 - Jun 29 No!!! Did we not learn from Daryl Murphy or Rhodes? Don't sell your top scorer...
3

knitfc78 added 15:52 - Jun 29 better to stay in suffolk, dreary and cold in middlesborough
2

Lightningboy added 15:58 - Jun 29 This would put a seriously big dampener on all the good feeling generated over the last few months. Imho Waghorn is one of the best at this level & we should be tying him down to a much longer contract - he would be very difficult to replace (unless we're bringing back Rhodes goalscoring-wise)..Waghorn's work rate is 2nd to none..Hurst has already been bigging him up ahead of next season so i'd be surprised at this happening..depends how much our owner is going to interfere?..won't be good if ME starts upsetting Hurst's plans so early into the relationship.

1

bluehook added 15:59 - Jun 29 They can feck right off. I've said all along since PH arrived, that they can sell anyone but BART and Waghorn. If he goes, I'm going to rip a tissue.
2

jas0999 added 16:04 - Jun 29 Although Evans states money from Webster will be reinvested into the playing squad, that remains very much to be seen. No point selling Waghorn unless it is an astonishing offer, with every last penny spent on fees. Our three very sellable assets are/were Waghorn, Bart and Webster. One already sold and Barts future in doubt, selling Waghorn as well would be disappointing. It's already all change at PR. Twelve out. We need reinforcements fairly quickly before flogging anyone else.

1

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