MIDDLESBROUGH have joined the hunt for former Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic this month, even though Aitor Karanka has other targets in mind to improve his options out wide.

Karanka is keen to bring in further signings despite making £6m Rudy Gestede his first signing of the January transfer window.

While there could be further departures following Julien de Sart and Tomas Mejias’ moves to Derby and Rayo Vallecano respectively, Karanka is focused on those who could arrive.

Boro's head coach did not want to name names at his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup third round tie with Sheffield Wednesday.

Karanka is looking for a winger, and was happy enough to heap praise on both Bojan and Patrick Bamford when he asked about them; players he knows from different times in his coaching career.

Bojan has become frustrated at the Bet365 Stadium after starting 11 of Stoke’s 20 Premier League games on the bench. He is expected to start against Wolves in the FA Cup. Karanka suggested he was aware that Bojan could be available before outlining he is keen to bring in a versatile forward.

He said: “I like to bring players in who can play in different positions, so we will try.

“I know Bojan, because he was in the national team. He is a good player, he has played in AC Milan, Barcelona, Ajax, Rome, Stoke … so he is a good player.”

Karanka has remained an admirer of Bamford, who was a key part of Boro's surge to the Championship play-off final 19 months ago, even though the Chelsea talent has struggled to make an impact during loans with Crystal Palace and now Burnley.

Chelsea have been disappointed with the lack of football Bamford has played at Turf Moor and that could see his season-long loan come to a premature end.

Karanka said: “Patrick has played just two games in the last 18 months and that is a surprise. I hope one day he can be the best player because he was really important for us. He was the best player in the league the year before.”

Benin striker Gestede to the Riverside and he could figure against Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow, even if he starts on the bench.

Karanka said: “We don’t have anyone apart from Alvaro Negredo who has scored six goals in the Premier League. He scored six for Villa last season. He knows the league and knows how to score goals in the Premier League.

“He does good things when the ball is in the air, he is good at set pieces and brings a lot of things we don’t have on the pitch.

“He is different to Alvaro, but they are both big and strong. Rudy was always the top target because he is different. He is a player who is in our budget, it is easy to say you will sign this or that but I have a chairman to tell me the budget which I have to sign players. He is the perfect player for us at that price.”

There is also significant interest in some Boro players. Strikers David Nugent and Jordan Rhodes are being tracked by Championship clubs, while Daniel Ayala is wanted by Galatasaray and has caught the eye of Newcastle.

Karanka said: “The players who are here, who want to leave, like Julien and Tomas did, I think moving is good for them. For example, Tomas has been here for three years, he couldn’t play, he needs to play and to show how good he is. They want to leave.

“If more players want to leave and the offers are the right offers then we will sell. I have to be focused on the games. I know the club has really good people working. I don’t know if there have been offers and I don’t want to know.”

When Sheffield Wednesday arrive at the Riverside tomorrow – a crowd of around 20,000 is expected – Karanka will have to make changes, even if he says he was not planning to.

Full-back Antonio Barragan is set to miss the next few weeks at least with hamstring trouble, while there are doubts surrounding the fitness of Adam Forshaw (fatigue), Gaston Ramirez (knee), Fabio da Silva (sickness) and Grant Leadbitter (muscle).

Karanka wants to progress. He said: “I hope the players understand how important this competition is as I understand it. We had the experience against Fulham in the EFL Cup and I don’t want to have a repeat, especially at home.

“We have really good memories from the past and I would like to repeat them.

“The most important thing is that if we go to the pitch thinking it is a Championship team and we will win the game then we will be making a big mistake. We started the game like that against Fulham and we lost.

“This is another Championship team, they are a really good team. We have to go into the game in the same way we did against Leicester and Manchester United. I am preparing for this the game like those games.”