BIRMINGHAM CITY are looking to take advantage of the arrival of Gaston Ramirez on Teesside by cutting short Diego Fabbrini’s season-long loan at Middlesbrough.

The arrival of Ramirez will not end Boro's drive for an extra forward and it is understood Blackburn striker Jordan Rhodes remains on the Middlesbrough radar as well as Fulham's Ross McCormack.

Ramirez accepted a drop in wages to complete a loan move to the Riverside from Southampton yesterday in the hope it will lead to promotion and a permanent summer switch.

But Middlesbrough’s successful attempt to beat Premier League interest in the Uruguayan – who Southampton wanted to move on permanently if he stayed in the Premier League – has created an opening for Fabbrini to leave.

Birmingham have approached Watford in the hope of striking a £1.5m deal for the Italian, who was on loan at St Andrews last season, and that has been relayed to Boro.

But the Hornets will have to reach an agreement with Boro over a reduction in the loan fee which was agreed between the clubs last summer if the deal is to be cut short.

Birmingham boss Gary Rowett has admitted Fabbrini is on his wishlist before the end of the transfer window on Monday at 11pm.

Rowett said: “A player of that quality is the type of player we are trying to bring in. But as we know you have always got to tie that into one or two other clubs trying to do their own business or wait for the right time to do it.

“Certainly we are working incredibly hard to bring players in of that ilk because we think that’s what we need to become even better.”

Fabbrini has started 14 times in the Championship but has found himself often on the bench in more recent months, with Albert Adomah, Stewart Downing and Cristhian Stuani playing behind the centre-forward.

Now the exciting arrival of Ramirez has given Karanka even greater options because he can play in the No 10 role or out wide.

The 25-year-old has long been a Boro target but it was a difficult deal to strike given his reputed £60,000-a-week wage at St Mary’s following his £12m move from Bologna three seasons ago.

However, after further discussions over the weekend, Ramirez was given the go-ahead to complete the loan switch to Boro, where he will join up with his Uruguay World Cup team-mate Stuani and younger compatriot Carlos de Pena.

Karanka said: “I am really pleased. He is a really good player who knows the league and the country. He has international experience and has played in the World Cup. He is another good player for us.

“He is the kind of player who wants to join us and that shows he is committed to us. He has played in the Premier League and it is important to bring in players with this kind of experience.”

Karanka still hopes to persuade Benfica to part with Swedish midfielder Victor Lindelof and the ball is firmly in Fulham’s court over the pursuit of McCormack.

The Scotland international remains at Craven Cottage despite suggestions he has told them he would like to leave after Boro's interest became so widely known.

McCormack is thought to be keen on a move to the Riverside, where he has often been close to moving in the past, but that could still see Spanish striker Kike head the other way in a part-exchange deal.

The frustrations in trying to tie up a deal for McCormack has meant that Blackburn's Rhodes is still high in Middlesbrough's thinking. Sheffield Wednesday had been expected to tie up a deal for him this month but the £10m-rated forward would still find a switch to the Riverside attractive if the Ewood Park club decide to cash in.

Middlesbrough’s trip to MK Dons, meanwhile, has been rearranged for February 9 (7.45pm). It had been scheduled for January 30 until it was postponed due to the Dons’ progress in the FA Cup.