Middlesbrough FC: Soon-to-be Swansea City free agent should be amongst those on transfer shortlist | OneFootball

We took a look at who Middlesbrough should be looking to sign in the January transfer window

While we're a couple of months away from the January transfer window just yet, clubs up and down the Championship would have begun work to start searching for potential transfer targets.

The recruitment team at Middlesbrough will be no different, and there's no doubt that conversations between scouts, the club hierarchy and Michael Carrick will be in progress as they look to strengthen their squad in January.

January is always a notoriously difficult month to do business in, with clubs reluctant to sell their prized assets halfway through the season, and it's rare to see wholesale changes made during the January transfer window.

However, Carrick will want to freshen up his squad in key positions, so with that in mind, here are the players who should be on Boro's shortlist.

Harry Darling

Centre-back Harry Darling has become a standout player for Swansea City since his move from MK Dons in the summer of 2022, and with his contract set to expire at the Swansea.com Stadium in the summer, he could be available for a cut-price fee.

The 25-year-old is a good Championship defender who will only get better in the years to come, and he should be on Boro's shortlist for a number of reasons in January, perhaps with the long-term future in mind.

Boro currently have Darragh Lenihan out injured, and George Edmonton is set to return to parent club Ipswich Town at the end of the season, so Darling's addition would not only add depth in the short-term, but he'd be a real asset to have going forward.

After an impressive debut season last time around, Rav van den Berg could be the subject of transfer interest both in January and the summer, and Darling's arrival would negate such a departure if it were to materialise.

Given his Championship experience, age and contract situation, Boro should definitely have Darling on their shortlist in January, and the 25-year-old will surely attract Championship interest if he doesn't pen fresh terms at Swansea.

Thelo Aasgaard

Boro's main priority in January will be keeping hold of key players, but a look at their squad shows that they only have one central attacking midfielder in the form of Finn Azaz, and it could be an area they look to build depth.

A good option to build depth in that position would be Wigan Athletic man Thelo Aasgaard, with the 22-year-old proving to be a real handful at League One level so far this season.

The Norwegian U21 international is one of the first names on the teamsheet for the Latics, having made nearly 150 appearances despite only turning 22 earlier this year.

Aasgaard wouldn't be a starter initially for Boro, but his age profile and his potential mean he could be someone that breaks into the starting XI in the future, and he'd be excellent cover for Azaz.

Blackburn Rovers were interested in him in the summer, showing that he's on the radar of Championship clubs, and Wigan wanted a fee of £3.5million.

Aasgaard would be a good addition to Carrick's side, and he's certainly someone who should be on their radar.

Pape Habib Gueye

As it stands, Boro don't need a striker, but should Emmanuel Latte Lath depart in January they would, and that's why Aberdeen striker Pape Habib Gueye should be on their transfer shortlist.

The 25-year-old has made an outstanding start to the Scottish Premiership season and has been scoring for fun in both the league and the cup, and it would be a surprise if clubs from England weren't keeping tabs on him.

Born in Senegal, Gueye joined Aberdeen from KV Kortrijk in the summer of 2023, but after a disappointing start to life in Scotland, he was loaned to Kristiansund in Norway.

However, since returning from his loan spell, he's been a different player, and he's stood out for Aberdeen so far this season, as they've made a bright start to the campaign under Jimmy Thelin.

In an ideal world, Boro won't need a striker, but you never know what will happen in January, and if they should need one, Gueye looks as if he could be capable of filling the void after his very impressive start to the season in Scotland.