Middlesbrough are keen to sign Charlton Athletic right-back Anfernee Dijksteel in the coming week, according to the reports.
Charlton boss Lee Bowyer has stated that his side have rejected two bids from the Smoggies for Dijksteel and that Bristol City have also expressed their intent to sign him.
Although Boro are still interested to sign the full-back, the Addicks have been playing hard-ball and are adamant to keep the defender on their books.
Dijksteel helped his employers in getting promoted from League One and is one of their highly-rated assets and Gazette Live have claimed that a transfer fee of around £2million is being negotiated on by the two clubs.
Having missed out on a playoff spot by a single point last season, Boro must enhance the quality of their artillery to mount a promotion challenge once again.
The Riversiders have been relatively quiet in beefing up their arsenal in the ongoing transfer window and Marcus Browne and Tomas Mejias have been their only additions.
A number of areas still need to be bolstered and Woodgate has made it clear that there will be a few more signings before the deadline day of 8th August.
Why Middlesbrough must sign Dijksteel
Ryan Shotton was used as a central defender and Jonathan Howson was deployed as the right-back against Luton Town in Friday’s Championship opener.
The right-back is unarguably one of the major areas of concern for Woodgate. His side lacks cover and options for the aforesaid position, something which needs to be sorted.
Therefore, it will make a lot of sense if Boro secure the services of Dijksteel as the versatility that the 22-year-old offers could come in handy for Woodgate.
Predominantly, Dijksteel is a right-back but he is effective enough while playing as a central defender or as a central defensive midfielder if asked to do so.
More often than not, his passing has been spot-on and his confidence on the pitch has been infectious with his one vs one defending getting a special mention.
Dijksteel has pace to burn and he is also very good in the air, and despite the fact that he is far from being a finished article, he ticks plenty of boxes for Woodgate.
Charlton has been a prosperous budding ground for young talent in football and having showcased his calibre therein, a move to Middlesbrough seems like a natural progression for the player.
If his move to the Riverside Stadium materializes, the Dutch prodigy will be able to work under the guidance of former Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid defender and take his game to the next level.