RAJIV VAN LA PARRA will sign for Middlesbrough in the next couple of days, but Tony Pulis has conceded his desire to make multiple January signings could be scuppered by an ongoing need to balance the books.

Van La Parra watched Boro’s weekend win over Ipswich Town from the directors’ box at the Riverside.

The Huddersfield midfielder is due to undergo a medical in the next 24 hours, and will agree a season-long loan with a clause for a permanent move to the North-East at the end of the season.

He will not be eligible for tomorrow’s New Year’s Day game at Derby County, but could make his debut in Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie with Peterborough United.

Pulis is hoping the 27-year-old is the first of a number of new arrivals next month, but while he has previously claimed that his summer transfer business generated more than £30m of profit, the Boro boss accepts the financial reality of life in the Championship could make it difficult for him to make too many January changes unless players also leave.

Boro have a number of high-earning players on their books – the likes of Darren Randolph, Daniel Ayala, Stewart Downing, Martin Braithwaite and Britt Assombalonga are on what could be termed ‘Premier League wages’ – and it will be difficult for Pulis to make significant additions to the current wage bill unless at least one or two senior players leave.

Braithwaite and Assombalonga are both available for sale, but Steve Gibson will not want to accept a major loss on either player, and as things stand, it is hard to see too many clubs rushing to meet Boro’s valuation of the duo.

“When I signed, I spoke to Steve for ages,” said Pulis. “He’s a very wealthy man, and he’s got Mike (Michael O’Neill) with him, his partner, and they’ve put a lot of money into this football club. I was absolutely astonished at the amount of money Steve has spent over the years, especially last year, and some of the wages that some of the players are on.

“I’ll do the best I possibly can to make this club a better club, not just on the pitch, but also off the pitch as well. I’m not a manager who just does one year’s work or two year’s work and then wants to go off.

“I want to leave a better football club, and if it means taking a few bumps along the way, then you take a few bumps. It’s a good football club, there are good people here. We want people who want to come here and play for us, and want to stay and push the club on.”

Having been unable to recruit a number of his leading attacking targets in the summer transfer window, Pulis is steeling himself for another bout of difficult negotiating in January.

Crystal Palace midfielder Jason Puncheon remains a target, and Boro have also been scouting a number of attacking players on the continent, but Pulis’ transfer dealings will have to remain within a series of strict financial parameters.

“People have short memories, that’s the way it is in football,” said the Boro boss. “At the beginning of the season, we sold Patrick Bamford and we sold Adama (Traore). Patrick was our top goalscorer and Adama was our most creative player.

“We tried like billy-o to get players of a decent quality into the football club, but we couldn’t. We couldn’t get (Yannick) Bolasie, we tried for (Tammy) Abraham and the like. Through no fault of the football club or the chairman, or anybody else, we couldn’t get them in.

“That was what we were trying to do, but we didn’t get them. That happens. But I’m the type of manager where I don’t then go for third or fourth-choices because I think it just clogs the system up. We’ve got on with what we’ve got, and I think the players have done fantastically well.

“The window opens and we hope we can get some better players in. If we can, hopefully it will be a better second half of the season. But irrespective of what people say or don’t say, I won’t bring people in who are just coming here for the money and not for the real reason, and that is to work hard for what is a very good football club.”

Van La Parra’s deal is all-but-agreed, and having helped both Wolves and Huddersfield win promotion to the Premier League, the Dutchman boasts a wealth of experience and well as a much-needed burst of pace.

“It’s not done yet, but he’s an exciting player who’s got pace,” said Pulis. “He adds to what we need. I don’t think there’s any question of his pedigree, he’s got promoted out of this league with Wolves and Huddersfield.

“I spoke to Dean Whitehead, who was a good player for me at Stoke and is a great lad, and he’s given me a great recommendation on him as a person, not just as a player.

“Danny Batth has played with him, George Saville has played with him, so he’s got decent pedigree and good pace. That’s what we want. How close is it? I don’t get involved in that – it’s Neil (Bausor) and the people upstairs.”

Van La Parra was a target in the summer, and Pulis could turn his attention to another player he has tracked in the past as he looks to provide some cover at left-back.

Boro officials tried unsuccessfully to engineer a deal for Jonas Knudsen in the summer, but with the Danish full-back due to become a free agent at the end of the season, Ipswich boss Paul Lambert appears resigned to losing him this month. Knudsen was an unused substitute in Ipswich’s weekend defeat at the Riverside.

“He (Knudsen) might move,” said Lambert. “Nobody knows whether he moves. He’s played a lot of games and I had to have a look at Myles (Kenlock), who I thought was excellent for his first game.

“If Jonas goes because of his contract situation then there is nothing we can do. That’s the way it is. It’s his last year contract wise.

“There is no pressure to let Jonas go. I just thought he’d played a lot of games. I thought Myles was excellent. His delivery was excellent and his defending was very, very good. As I said before, I’ll try and be fair with everybody and give them a chance.”