Middlesbrough braced for Mikey Moore transfer disappointment | OneFootball

Middlesbrough are keen to sign Mikey Moore on loan, but they may face frustration in their pursuit of the Tottenham Hotspur winger.

It is shaping up to be an exciting summer for Middlesbrough as they rebuild their squad for another promotion push.

Middlesbrough spent much of last season in the automatic promotion places, but a run of just four wins from their final 15 games of the regular campaign saw them drop out of the top two, with Kim Hellberg's men eventually finishing fifth.

Despite a 2-1 aggregate defeat to Southampton in their play-off semi-final, Boro were handed a promotion lifeline when the Saints were kicked out of the final as a result of the Spygate affair, but the Teesside outfit failed to make the most of their reprieve as they were beaten 1-0 by Hull City at Wembley.

It was a difficult start to the summer for Boro as they lost two of their key players, with Dael Fry and Hayden Hackney joining Birmingham City and Everton respectively, but transfer activity is now starting to heat up at the Riverside Stadium.

Boro have made four new signings so far this summer in Sebastian Berhalter, Myles Peart-Harris, Kyle Joseph and Will Lankshear, and a fifth addition is imminent after the club reportedly agreed a $7.5 million fee for Columbus Crew defender Max Arfsten, but it seems they may be less successful in their pursuit of another of their transfer targets.

Middlesbrough facing transfer setback as Mikey Moore stance revealed

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Middlesbrough have already done business with Tottenham Hotspur this summer after signing striker Lankshear for an initial fee of £10 million, plus a further £10 million in add-ons, but it appears they are keen to strike further deals with the Premier League side.

Boro are believed to be interested in defender Ashley Phillips, and it was revealed this week that they are plotting a move for another Spurs youngster, winger Mikey Moore.

Moore spent last season on loan at Rangers, where he scored seven goals and provided four assists in 47 appearances as they finished third in the Scottish Premiership following a turbulent campaign that saw both Russell Martin and Danny Rohl take charge of the team.

After returning from his spell at Ibrox, Moore travelled with Spurs on their pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand this summer, but head coach Roberto De Zerbi cast doubt on his future when he admitted that the club were looking to sign a new winger before the end of the transfer window.

With Moore looking likely to be allowed to depart on loan again this summer, Boro are looking to bring him to the Riverside Stadium for the season, but they may hit a double stumbling block in their pursuit of the 18-year-old.

According to The Standard, Boro are "among a host of clubs" keen on Moore, suggesting they face strong competition for his signature, while he is thought to be "holding out for a move to a club in Europe’s top five leagues", which would rule out a switch to the Championship if he maintains that stance.

Middlesbrough must move on from Mikey Moore pursuit as hurdles emerge

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Moore is regarded as one of Spurs' brightest young talents, and he certainly did his reputation no harm during his loan at Rangers last season, where he performed well in an incredibly high-pressure environment.

Middlesbrough have formed a good relationship with Spurs this summer after the signing of Lankshear, so it is possible that they would be open to sending Moore to Teesside for the season, but that may only become a possibility towards the end of the window if he fails to secure a move to one of Europe's top flights.

Boro need to bring in at least one new winger over the coming weeks, which could become even more important if Morgan Whittaker departs amid speculation linking him with West Ham United, but with Moore looking likely to be out of reach, they should turn their attention to other targets.