GARRY MONK has confirmed that Marten de Roon has been given permission to talk with another club as the Dutch midfielder edges closer to a return to Italy.

De Roon has been spotted in Atalanta ahead of completing the formalities of the move after Middlesbrough accepted an offer in the region of 15m euros for him.

The 26-year-old, who only left the Serie A club last summer, is believed to have already agreed the terms of the deal in principle and the deal should go through sooner rather than later.

Monk, due to follow up de Roon’s departure by landing Chelsea midfielder Lewis Baker on a two-year loan as revealed in The Northern Echo, has admitted that the Holland international is on his way out of the Riverside.

“The update is we have allowed him (Marten) to speak with another club, that’s where it is at the moment,” said Monk. “Nothing 100 per cent at this moment in time.

“We have worked on options to come in, as I have said before we still want to work on incomings and outgoings and people we want to come in.

“I said last week we have done the bulk, it’s been a high transition, high number leaving and many have come in. There’s still bits to be done.

“You want to try to get as much finalised as quickly as possible. It’s not always that easy. We have our targets and hopefully we can have those done as soon as possible.”

The Northern Echo: HIGHLY-RATED: Middlesbrough's Marten de Roon battles with Manchester United's Anthony Martial last season

Leaving: Marten de Roon is heading back to Atalanta

Middlesbrough are looking to bounce back from last weekend’s opening day defeat at Wolves by defeating Sheffield United at the Riverside on Saturday.

Monk described suggestions that Sunderland want Grant Leadbitter as “speculation” and he was not prepared to discuss it beyond that. The Boro boss has no fresh injury problems ahead of the visit of the Blades.

And he said: “It’s been a positive week. We have come in after that defeat, focused and that’s what you have to do. As we come into these games we have to be focused, correct what we did in the last game and be positive.

“The focus has been on ourselves and we are confident. We have a good group of players here, we know what’s needed to be done and we are confident it will not be too much longer for us to be up and running.

“I said beforehand, season openers are unpredictable, this league is the most competitive league in the world and each and every minute is like that.

“We have to be ready for every game, the players are working hard and are confident the work we are doing we will see the fruits of that. I think we have already seen that this week and in the game last week. We have a good group and it can do very well in this league.”