Ipswich Town star should be top of Middlesbrough FC's three-man transfer shortlist | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at three players Boro should be targeting in the January transfer window...

Middlesbrough will enter the January transfer window hoping to conclude some smart transfer business that will bolster Boro's Premier League promotion credentials in the second half of the season.

Michael Carrick's side will certainly be aiming to secure a play-off spot as a minimum come May, as optimism is rife on Teesside that this squad has the tools to end their top-flight exile.

The Middlesbrough head coach has spoken about wanting to ensure his side come out of the winter window in the same, or ideally better shape than when the window started, potentially hinting that if no incomings arrive, the Manchester United legend will be happy to push for promotion with what he's currently got.

However, there are a couple of areas of Boro's largely strong and complete squad that the club's decision makers may feel require an extra pair of legs to either challenge a current starter, or provide critical strength in depth.

As such, FLW takes a look at three transfers that Middlesbrough should have on their January shortlist in order of priority, with number three being the lowest to number one being the highest...

3 Luke Cundle

A versatile central midfielder who can play as a six, eight or a 10, Luke Cundle has already proven himself to be a smart player at Championship level.

The 22-year-old Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder has spent the last two seasons out on loan in the second tier and has proven his ability at every club he's been with.

He spent the 2022/23 season with Swansea City, in which he made 34 total appearances scoring three goals and providing four assists, before spending last season out on loan with Plymouth Argyle in the first half of the term, and Stoke City in the second half.

As an Argyle player, Cundle would make 27 total appearances scoring five goals and registering six assists, before following that up with two goals and two assists in 16 total appearances with the Potters.

Since returning back to parent club Wolves in the summer, Cundle hasn't been able to carve out a meaningful role at Molineux, and having shown he's a quality performer at Championship level, he surely needs to be playing regular football for the sake of maximising his obvious potential.

Football League World exclusively revealed on 20 December that Preston North End and Swansea City are among several EFL clubs weighing up a January swoop for Cundle, and Middlesbrough should be among those interested parties too.

Carrick has already seen his two top central midfielders go down with injuries this season in Hayden Hackney and Aidan Morris, and with just a 36-year-old and out of contract Jonny Howson and Dan Barlaser - a player who was linked with a summer exit - as the backups, a vital aspect of Carrick's system must remain stocked up on talent and depth in order to sustain a promotion push.

He's a player that current Boro star Finn Azaz will know all about too, having been teammates for a short while last season at Plymouth Argyle, and a Cundle move to Middlesbrough could rekindle their highly fruitful attacking relationship at the Riverside.

2 Louie Barry

A player that Middlesbrough have been heavily linked with in the run-up to the January transfer window, Aston Villa forward Louie Barry fits the profile of the sort of player Boro have been targeting in recent times.

The 21-year-old has been on fire whilst on loan with League One side Stockport County in the first half of this season, and had already moved comfortably and confidently into double figures for goals by the start of December.

His parent club, Aston Villa, have seen his sparkling form and his recall in January has been confirmed, with previous reports suggesting that could lead to a loan to the Championship for the second half of the season.

Should that be the course of action they take, then Boro should be all over Barry's signature for a number of reasons. Middlesbrough and Aston Villa have struck up a fruitful transfer relationship in recent times, with the two clubs conducting multiple mutually beneficial deals in previous windows.

As such, a certain level of trust must have developed between the two sides, with Villa knowing that their young players are in safe hands when under the care of Carrick and his Boro coaching staff.

From the perspective of what Barry can offer as a player to Middlesbrough's side, he's a versatile forward who can and has operated as a centre-forward, a central attacking midfielder, or out on either wing.

Therefore, Carrick could feel confident asking him to slot in anywhere in Boro's attack knowing that he can perform anywhere. He could provide real competition for a number of Middlesbrough's attacking players, and potentially allow Micah Hamilton or Alex Gilbert to go out on a much-needed loan.

When George Edmundson completed his season-long loan switch to Middlesbrough in the final minutes of the summer transfer window, many Boro supporters believed he was brought in to play little more than a squad depth role at the Riverside this year.

Come the halfway point of the campaign and the 27-year-old has been an instrumental piece in Carrick's defensive unit, with his no-nonsense approach endearing him to the Teesside faithful.

With multiple injuries in their centre-back room, Edmundson's addition has proven vital and after stating that it was his desire to win a permanent contract with his Ipswich Town deal set to expire in the summer, his performances will surely have earned him one. Whether that's with Middlesbrough, the Tractor Boys, or elsewhere.

But, now that Boro have got him in their building already, they should use that to their advantage and move quickly to strike a permanent deal for him in January. They could take a gamble and try get him on a free in the summer, but you would expect a host of other clubs to make approaches.

That approach would leave the door wide open for a quality defender to slip through Boro's fingers perhaps somewhat unnecessarily, however. So paying a fee for him in the new year and securing his signature would provide real peace of mind knowing he's Boro's for the future.

When you have a classy player on your hands, why risk letting him find a home elsewhere?

That message appears to have got through at the Riverside, with sources informing Football League World that the Teessiders are keen to sign Edmundson permanently in January.