'Tony Pulis tones down expectations ahead of January transfer window'

The Middlesbrough manager has claimed that while he will be looking to add more names to his squad, he won’t be spending money just for the sake of it.

Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis gave Boro fans a reality check on Friday as he claimed that the club won’t pay over the odds for any player in the upcoming January transfer window.

Pulis pursued a number of key targets in the summer but had to come out of the window empty-handed as Middlesbrough refused to pay the prices demanded by the likes of Albert Adomah, Jason Puncheon, and Yanick Bolasie.

However, having said that he won’t be spending money just for the sake of it, Pulis then claimed that the club lacks depth in wide attacking positions, where he will be looking to sign new players.

Furthermore, Boro’s recruitment team have done their bit to help the manager, having submitted a list of players which Boro could look to sign in January.

Boro chairman Steve Gibson is also ready to give full financial backing to his manager, having seen the team performing well and sitting just 2 points behind leaders Norwich in the Championship table.

“We’ve got a good group of lads, who work really hard, but we also know what we’ve got to do and what we need,” said Pulis whose team extended their unbeaten run to eight games with a 1-1 draw at Preston in midweek.

“If we want to push on, we know what’s required, and we’ll be doing our damnedest to try to bring it in."

“But as I’ve said before, I will not be throwing money at anything if I don’t think it’s right. That’s not the way I manage.”

Pulis Has a History of Shrewd Acquisitions

While Pulis doesn’t have money to burn unlike some of his counterparts in the Championship, the Boro manager’s experience has helped him bring a number of players on a bargain to the Riverside Stadium.

For, apart from signing striker Jordan Hugill and midfielder Mo Besic on loan in the summer, Pulis also got Aden Flint on a bargain in the previous transfer window.

The former Stoke City manager isn’t also shy of going for the youngsters, as suggested by the chances he has given to Dael Fry, Lewis Wing, and Marcus Tavernier this season.

Still, while the youngsters have performed brilliantly this season – as suggested by the equaliser Tavernier scored on Tuesday, Middlesbrough can’t afford to rely too much on them.

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Therefore, with the race for the promotion also heating up, Middlesbrough might need new names to make that final push in the closing stages of this season.