AITOR KARANKA has given the biggest hint that Patrick Bamford is on his way back to Middlesbrough.

The Boro boss refused to rule out the prospect of the Chelsea striker returning for a second stint to the Riverside.

Bamford scored 19 goals in 2014-15 and has been given the go-ahead to move again on loan after being recalled from a similar spell with Burnley.

“With Patrick it’s always the same, when he left the club I told him that the doors of our club will be open always for him,” he said.

“He made a great impact at the club. Everyone remembers what he did.”

Bamford’s career has stalled since leaving Teesside. He failed to shine at Norwich and Crystal Palace. His time at Burnley will also leave question marks over whether he can cut it in the Premier League.

Karanka, whose side struggled to breakdown Watford during the goalless draw on Saturday, also hopes to sign Stoke striker Bojan from Stoke City and Potters boss Mark Hughes, who hopes to keep him, admitted that things could change on that front in the final couple of weeks of the window.

Middlesbrough have made an £8m offer for unsettled Bojan and he was not involved at Sunderland on Saturday.

Hughes said: “He wasn’t fit today. I don’t know (about Middlesbrough). We would like him to stay. If him and his advisors feel that is the best thing for his career we will have to wait and see and have further discussions about.

“At the moment he is not available because he is injured. Ideally he just needs to settle down and focus on his career at Stoke.”

Jordan Rhodes, who is on Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa’s radar, and Crystal Palace target Stewart Downing are certain to head out, even if it is on loan initially.

But one player Karanka insists is not leaving is Gaston Ramirez. The Uruguayan playmaker, currently on the sidelines with a knee injury, has been a shining light this season and has been strongly linked with a £15m move to Leicester.

Ramirez is understood to have had his head turned by interest from the Premier League champions who are preparing for the knockout stages of the Champions League. Karanka rejected suggestions he has played his last game and claims he is not going anywhere.

“Gaston is staying,” insisted Karanka. “He is enjoying it a lot and is a really important player for us having arrived just one year ago. There is still more to come from him.”

Karanka knows he needs to beef up his attack after posting just 17 goals in 21 games this season, the Premier League's lowest tally.

"I have a really big squad and the aim is to have at the end of January a better squad than I have now. There will be players coming and players who are leaving and that's it.

"I'm not worried about the goals. I know that when we play in our style we create chances. We have the players also to score them as we have shown already. The mood is good. I'm only looking at the West Ham game now and what we need to do."

Watford boss Walter Mazzarri, meanwhile, believes the emotion felt at the club following Graham Taylor's death affected his players in the draw with Middlesbrough.

Taylor, viewed by Watford as the greatest manager in the club's history, died suddenly on Thursday following a suspected heart attack at the age of 72.

The club paid a glowing tribute to Taylor ahead of the fixture which culminated in a rousing one-minute applause prior to kick-off.

A number of home supporters - many of whom had laid flowers, shirts and scarves at Vicarage Road - and Taylor's widow Rita, were reduced to tears as the former England manager's name echoed around the stadium.

"It was very emotional for all of us," said Mazzarri. "This was due to the passing away of this great person that made the history of Watford Football Club. The first half we were less brilliant and it could have been due to this emotion. In the second half we played much better and we deserved the win."

The build-up to Watford's clash against Middlesbrough was dominated by Taylor, who enjoyed two hugely successful periods at the club.

In his first tenure he guided the Hornets from the Fourth Division to the top flight and their first, and what remains, their only FA Cup final. Following stints at Aston Villa and latterly England, Taylor returned to take Watford from the Championship back to the Premier League.

"When there was a one-minute applause I was very emotional," Mazzarri added. "It made me think about different things of my past.

"In the last days I read a lot about all he did as a manager and it made me think about what a manager can give to the fans during his whole career and what kind of emotions he can give."