'Boro would be devastated to lose Doak in January'

What do Boro need?

Boro have a potential issue at right-back where Anfernee Dijksteel is entering the final six months of his contract and Luke Ayling has struggled to hit the heights of last season's loan spell, while Tommy Smith remains a long-term injury absentee.

Recent injuries to Aidan Morris and Hayden Hackney showed the strength in depth in central midfield may need to be augmented if a promotion push is to be sustained, while the right side of attack may need reinforcing too.

What business are they likely to do?

So much depends on what happens with Emmanuel Latte Lath. Ipswich tried to sign him at the end of the summer window and Boro are braced for renewed interest in the Ivorian.

If he leaves it will only be for a figure that suits the club, with the money then being used to buy a replacement and augment other areas of the squad.

It also wouldn't be a surprise to see some fringe figures depart if the interest is there. Dan Barlaser and Isaiah Jones are two players who would surely interest other Championship clubs if they were available.

How successful have they been in recent January windows?

January 2023 put rocket boosters under Michael Carrick's squad just a couple of months after replacing Chris Wilder.

Cameron Archer and Aaron Ramsey dovetailed perfectly with Chuba Akpom and Ryan Giles to help propel Boro to the play-offs where they drew a blank against Coventry in the semi-final.

Are there likely to be any notable departures?

Latte Lath is an obvious talking point but the player Boro coaches and fans alike would be devastated to lose is Ben Doak. The winger is on a season-long loan from Liverpool and everyone on Teesside is praying they don't recall him.

How key is the window?

Right now Boro have their strongest squad for years. It was built with the express intention of challenging for automatic promotion and to this point Boro have underachieved in that regard.

Some freshening up in the right areas may help unlock the potential that is undoubtedly there.