Middlesbrough appear to have emerged as the new favourites in the race to sign Blues striker Martyn Waghorn.

The Scottish Sun claims Boro are close to completing a move for the former Rangers frontman having made a £7 million bid using the cash from Patrick Bamford's impending sale to Leeds United.

However, while Teessiders boss Tony Pulis is very keen on Waghorn, as TWTD was first to reveal a month ago, we understand their interest is yet to progress as far as reported and the 28-year-old, who scored 16 times and claimed 11 assists last season, is training with the Blues at Playford Road this morning.

Yesterday, Derby’s pursuit of Waghorn was dealt a blow when Matej Vydra’s proposed £11 million switch to Leeds broke down.

The Rams, previously the leading contenders to land the Town number nine having had a bid of £5 million rising to £8 million turned down last week and still very keen, are understood to need Vydra to move on before they can bring in Waghorn in order to stay within Financial Fair Play limits.

In addition to Boro and Derby, Sheffield United had an offer close to £5 million rebuffed a month ago, while Birmingham City, who are currently subject to a transfer embargo, have also been eyeing Waghorn and Nottingham Forest have been linked.

Waghorn’s former club Rangers would receive 10 per cent of the profit the Blues make on the switch should the South Shields-born frontman move on.

Photo: Matchday Images

robmonkey007 added 11:37 - Jul 31 Nooooooooo Don't go!
7

Gooders7592 added 11:42 - Jul 31 Good deal for all concerned.
-7

GiveusaWave added 11:42 - Jul 31 This transfer saga is going to drag on isn't it???
3

TheCodFather added 11:43 - Jul 31 Would be far more attractive if there wasn't 9 days left of the window with no proven replacement lined up...would be a gamble on our whole season to accept an offer for him at this stage. Tough one.
15

blue75 added 11:44 - Jul 31 7 mill getting closer to the right good bit of business all round as long as the money is reinvested in the team.
0

lightingblue added 11:50 - Jul 31 In amongst all this transfer saga , has Waghorn actually come out and said what he wants to do. He might want to stay. Then again he may want to go. Would be interested what he actually wants to do. I may have missed it but I've not heard anything from him either on the radio, tv or any other of form
3

toxtethblue added 11:51 - Jul 31 Does history tell you it will be?! Wake up
-1

Cakeman added 11:52 - Jul 31 Excellent player that he has been but I have heard or seen nothing to indicate that Waghorn wants to stay with us. I am sure he is professional enough to put in the proverbial shift for us should he stay but his heart is seemingly elsewhere in the North-East if England. Would be better in the long run for player and club if he moved on to Middlesbrough.
1

Jesney_Havoc added 11:53 - Jul 31 Just one more rebuff to do then. Selling this close to the window will only drive up the cost of a replacement.
3

Essexnblue added 11:57 - Jul 31 7 million+ is a good deal for all parties including Rangers. Just get it done and get a bit of quality in ASAP to cover the holes that we already have. If no replacements are available or too expensive then keep Waghorn, we can call the shots this time.
3

Karlosfandangal added 11:58 - Jul 31 easy for the papers that one. I could have wrote that as its been said we want 7 to 8 million for him and Middlesborough were linked. if Sheffield United sold one of there strikers then they will be in the chase. Middlesbrough sell a strikers so Waghorn is the only replacement, I expect that they have other targets and not only in this country and with £10 million that opens up even more possibilities for them. Waghorn will keep his cards close to his chest as there maybe a big wage increase for him if he moves or at least a new contract from Town

3

casanovacrow added 12:00 - Jul 31 Sun usually means "no news" but in this case everything makes sense for their speculation to develop into something as clear cut as they make out it already is. Can't see it being "close" yet though. Waghorn was important last season but the lack of players comfortable with the new style in other areas of the pitch might just get solved if PH spends that money. The spot behind a striker we have lots of cover in. Tough call. Depends how deep Evans' pockets will be without the sale, not deep enough I doubt.

1

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 12:00 - Jul 31 Let's not be too naïve. He will go to finance the players we have got in and those hopefully still to come.
4

BobbyBell added 12:01 - Jul 31 If we take £7m then other clubs will know we have that money and any potential buys will suddenly be more expensive. Time is too tight now and we could be seen as a club with money desperate to sign players.
1

brendenward35 added 12:03 - Jul 31 Only time will tell if Marcus learnt from the Murphy saga which left us with little striking options. My gut feeling is PH has plan B in the wings if we do sell hopefully Marcus will open the purse strings and support PH if Waghorn does go. If he doesn't then we all know who the blame if the club does struggle. Guaranteed if we do sell then every striker will increase in their price probably beyond our budget surprise surprise but maybe Marcus has learnt?

1

blueheartXT added 12:04 - Jul 31 7m plus would be excellent business Rangers get tilt with their share and who do we get let's wait and see. But I'm not hopefull I'm afraid. Once bitten twice shy I'm afraid
-4

Sparky85 added 12:04 - Jul 31 Lightningblue - I expect that he wants to go. PH as said that he has spoken to him. If he wanted to stay then would come out and say it, but if he wants to go the worst thing we could do would be to broadcast it as we would be negotiating from a position of weakness. Would be gutted if Waghorn left, but can we really turn down that sort of money for a player we paid £250k for 12 months ago.

1

flimflam added 12:06 - Jul 31 The Sun article was written by Mel Henderson who is usually bang on with deff info.
3

Sixto6 added 12:08 - Jul 31 Let's get a deal done while we have time for a replacement ! I'd take Nolan from Shrewsbury and Bradshaw from Barnsley, as well as Tilt in at CB. Then build the the team around Dozzell !
2

OohOohSamassiAbou added 12:11 - Jul 31 Torn on this, £7m is great money, but I just don't know whether we have the time and ability to get someone in to cover the goals/assists he provides. Midfield we still look woefully short on goals. Can't blame him for being interested in a move to any of the suitors mentioned, I would expect he could possibly earn 2 or 3x what he's paid here.
5

timspencero added 12:15 - Jul 31 Nope. We need to keep him. He's a cut above, like Dozzell - you need a spine of these pure-class footballers in your team to compete properly at the top levels. Hence about 7 clubs can't believe he's available and are battling for his signature, especially at that price point. If we sell him, it really says it all. We will be truly conceding we're a club without real ambition, skirting around the second tier hoping to avoid the third tier. Comparisons with McGoldrick are pointless; Waghorn isn't made of glass. He's a prize asset. He didn't fluke 16 goals and 11 assists and as he has all his career when his confidence is high, he will continue to score. Again, hence the big interest. The day we signed him I was elated as I said on this board, moreso than Garner. If we lose him like this i'll be completely deflated

7

directwilder added 12:17 - Jul 31 I don't want waggy to go and I don't think he wants to go! but if our club accepts an offer then waggy may feel obliged to move! He knows he'll earn more in wages at Middlesborough and be closer to home although he loves it here! At the end of the day it's a done deal if a club meets our valuation! (250k to 7million plus is great business). I think Kayden Jackson is the replacement but will we still sign him if waggy stays? I'd hope we would anyway,but that's gone quiet peeps!

1

TractorBoyTommy added 12:23 - Jul 31 Sell him! Never worth £7 million was a one season wonder. Im sure that clown hurst will be spending whatever petty cash Evans decides to give him on league 1 or 2 tripe anyways as he prepares us for league 1 next season
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lightingblue added 12:23 - Jul 31 Sparky. That's a fair point. Something I hadn't thought of. Personally I'd ultimately like to keep hold of him. But unfortunately this is where we are as a club. Unfortunately with the debts we have do leave our hands tied with how we go about our transfer business. We do not want to go down a similar route as qpr who are being given embargoes. It's a catch 20 situation. One last point. Is Milne still with the club. Haven't heard his wisdom lately!!

1

toxtethblue added 12:23 - Jul 31 I've said it before, what we paid for him is completely irrelevant, it's what he's worth to us now that matters. We won't get anyone in that remotely compares to him or have 7m invested in the squad so stop wishing our best players away...
1

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