AITOR KARANKA has admitted he is still desperate to strengthen Middlesbrough’s options on the flanks this month.

The Boro head coach landed striker Rudy Gestede from Aston Villa this week in a £6m deal and he should be involved against Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup on Sunday.

But Karanka is keen to add more before the end of the transfer window and has been linked with moves for Stoke City’s Bojan as well as Patrick Bamford, who is on loan at Burnley from Chelsea.

There is also interest in a few Middlesbrough players, such as Jordan Rhodes, David Nugent and Daniel Ayala, which would strengthen Karanka’s spending power.

And Karanka, who is bringing in younger players to add to the Under-23s squad too, said: “If the right offers arrive and the players want to leave, I have said always, I am here to help everyone who wants to leave.

“That is the market. To buy players we need to sell them, if one player wants to leave then I will help them.

“I hope for more players, at the minute we have a few injuries and I would like a little more. We need to improve the attacking positions, and maybe on the wings.”

Karanka is delighted with the signing of Gestede already. He said: “I think he is a really good player for us, he gives us something different. He gives us something we don’t have at the moment.

“I am pleased he is here. With him we are adding a good player and a good person. I am not sure if he can start. I need to think. I don’t think he will start from the beginning.”

Middlesbrough have a number of doubts ahead of the visit of Sheffield Wednesday to the Riverside in the third round.

Antonio Barragan and Viktor Fischer will definitely miss out. While Karanka also revealed there are doubts surrounding the fitness of Gaston Ramirez (knee), Fabio da Silva (illness), Grant Leadbitter (muscle) and Adam Forshaw (fatigue).