Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka admits he would be open to the prospect of bringing Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford back to the club on loan.
Bamford, 22, is currently on a season-long loan deal at Crystal Palace, although that may come under review after the England Under-21 international has failed to start a Premier League game this season.
The Palace No.8 was named the PFA Championship Player of the Year last season after scoring 17 goals in 40 appearances for Middlesbrough, as they narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League in the play-off final.
And Karanka admits he would welcome the striker back into his squad for the remainder of the season.
“I don’t know. We are in December, we are really good now and we are preparing now because we are always concerned with the future,” the Boro boss told the FL72 Podcast.
“We need to know what kind of player we need in January. Patrick is obviously a player everybody knows and he is a player who isn’t playing. I have always said the doors of this club are open to him so let’s see. We will try and get the best for us, for Patrick, for everybody.”
Only two Palace players to have featured in the Premier League this season have played fewer minutes than Bamford (74 mins).
For more stats on Patrick Bamford, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
