Middlesbrough have reportedly joined a number of clubs in the race to sign Ipswich Town striker Daryl Murphy, as interest in the striker heats up upon the opening of the transfer window.
Boro' are set to open negotiations with Ipswich over a possible transfer, with a fee of around £4million said to be their opening offer.
Hot competition
Interest in Murphy is high, with clubs such as Queens Park Rangers and Wolverhampton Wanderers also said to be vying for the striker, who has 14 caps for the Republic of Ireland.
It comes as no surprise that so many clubs want the forward, after he had a hugely successful Championship season, scoring 27 goals as Ipswich finished 6th in the league. They're not under any pressure to sell the player either, with manager Mick McCarthy recently stating that the transfer of Tyrone Mings to Bournemouth had no impact on the possibility of more star players leaving.
It is believed that the Tractor Boys are demanding north of £8million for their star striker, and won't budge until they recieve a fee to their liking.
What does it mean for Middlesbrough?
Targeting Murphy shows that Middlesbrough are trying to replace Patrick Bamford, who spent last season at Teeside during a loan move from Chelsea.
Bamford scored 19 goals for the club during his loan spell, but couldn't help them to promotion after a 2-0 loss to Norwich in the playoff final. He became a firm fans favourite and many would like him to come back for another year, but this seems unlikely with Chelsea preferring to loan him to a Premier League side.
Boro' aren't just chasing Murphy either, as they look to make another assault on promotion. They've been linked with a move for West Ham's Stewart Downing recently, and are also expected to bring Thomas Kalas in from Chelsea on a loan deal.