AITOR KARANKA is satisfied with the quality of Middlesbrough’s squad but he is still keeping an eye on the transfer market in the hope of making further additions.

Boro are interested in Nottingham Forest’s £5m-rated Michail Antonio and are still weighing up central midfield options, while Mustapha Carayol could be used as a makeweight in any deal.

But Karanka – as it showed when Middlesbrough pulled out of negotiations for Blackburn’s Jordan Rhodes - is not desperate to do business if he does not feel the deal is in the best interests of the Teesside club.

The former Real Madrid No 2, whose side travel to Derby County tomorrow, is still likely to tap in to the loan market as well and he is not ruling out another dip in to the transfer market.

Karanka said: “As a coach, until the market is finished on Tuesday (September 1), always as a manager I'm expecting for something but if nobody more comes then I'm really pleased with the squad.”

After Saturday’s brilliant first half against performance laid the foundations for a 3-0 win over Bolton at the Riverside, it could be suggested that Middlesbrough already have the forwards capable of driving for promotion.

Karanka will never be completely satisfied, although he is delighted with how Middlesbrough are shaping up ahead of the trip to Derby.

“I said after the game that it had been amazing, and everything was almost perfect,” said Karanka, who has no fresh injury concerns. “The players were joking with me as I didn't know what I could say at half-time because they were perfect, so this is a good example at what we can do and how capable we are to play games like that.

“But that's gone, sometimes you have to learn from the good things and the bad things, and we have to know we can play in this way. We have to forget it as soon as possible as Derby will be completely different.

“When good players are arriving into a good environment then it's better for everyone. The players that are here and players that have arrived, like Downing and Fabbrini, they've been training together for two or three weeks and they looked like they've been training together (for a long time).

“The quality of the squad is good but we have to keep going in the same way. The players know that I'm not just thinking about the game tomorrow or on Tuesday against Burton or against Bristol City on Saturday, I'm thinking about the season.

“Last season we played 55 games so all of the (players) are going to have games to show everybody how good they are. For that reason they have to be ready at the right moment.”