MIDDLESBROUGH are ready to join the hunt for Jordan Hugill before the transfer deadline closes in a move that could easily see the West Ham striker return home.

While the focus at this stage is believed to be on trying to get a deal with Ipswich’s versatile forward Martyn Waghorn over the line, the possibility of securing Hemlington-born Hugill has grown.

West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini is ready to let the £8m man move on this summer even though he only arrived in January from Preston when David Moyes was in charge.

But the Hammers are looking in other directions so Hugill will be allowed to leave before the transfer window closes, even if that could be on loan initially.

Aston Villa and a clutch of other Championship clubs are also keen on signing him but Middlesbrough know they would stand every chance of winning that battle because of the player’s roots.

Hugill was a boyhood Middlesbrough fan who used to be a season ticket holder during the Juninho years, and loved watching Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka in action.

Such links would make it extra special for him to head back to Teesside, where he used to play Northern League for Marske and then work as a barman in the town’s Dickens Inn on a night.

Hugill, who actually scored for Preston at the Riverside against Middlesbrough not long ago, had four years at Deepdale and has impressed since Simon Grayson handed him his chance.

Last summer Sunderland were desperate to get him to spearhead their Championship campaign but were unwilling to match the Lilywhites’ valuation and offered less than £2m.

Preston were right to do so because West Ham came calling in the following window with the £8m fee, which has the potential to rise to £10m.

He has previously had loan spells with Hartlepool, Tranmere and Gateshead since Port Vale took him under their wing when they landed him from non-league.

Hugill is the sort of bustling centre-forward Tony Pulis is looking to have in his ranks and he is also one which works hard for the team.

Middlesbrough have just allowed Patrick Bamford to head to Leeds United in a £7m deal this week and it would be no surprise to see Britt Assombalonga and Martin Braithwaite leave too if the price was right.

Rudy Gestede and Ashley Fletcher, who was on loan at Sunderland last season, are the only other striker alternatives at this stage, while Gestede is currently nursing an ankle problem ahead of Saturday’s season opener at Millwall.

Middlesbrough would like to have a deal for Waghorn tied up before then, with Ipswich keen to net £7m for a product of Sunderland’s academy system.

The 28-year-old has interested Derby this summer too but they have decided to look elsewhere, leaving Middlesbrough clear to land the hard-working former Rangers and Wigan forward.

It is shaping up to be a hectic finish to the window for Middlesbrough, who know that they could be powerless to prevent Adama Traore from leaving if a release clause in his contract is met.

The Spaniard is understood to have been the subject of strong interest from Huddersfield and Wolves, with the latter believed to have suggested a willingness to pay £12m rather than the reputed £18m figure.

It has been claimed from reports in the Midlands, however, that Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo is pressing for the club’s board to just get the deal done for the higher price that would trigger a deal.

Then it would boil down to whether Traore fancies the switch to Molineux for a crack at the Premier League rather that spend a second season in the Championship with Middlesbrough.

Pulis has regularly spoken about his desire to keep him on board but if he was to leave then the money raised is likely to go back into the squad.

The problem at this stage is that time is running out. If suitable offers do come in for the likes of Assombalonga, Traore or even Ben Gibson – who remains an option for Everton – then Pulis will only have until 5pm next Thursday to get players in.

The Middlesbrough boss was left frustrated in January when Newcastle decided to let Aleksandar Mitrovic head for Fulham over the Riverside when both Braithwaite and Fletcher had been allowed to head out on loan.

He also missed out on other attacking targets so he knows that he can’t afford to be left short again as Middlesbrough look to start this season strongly.

Middlesbrough’s indifferent start to last season proved costly because Garry Monk was replaced in December and then Pulis was challenged to lift the team into the play-offs, which he did before ultimately losing out to Aston Villa over two legs.