NEIL WARNOCK is hoping to pull off two more signings before the transfer window closes on Tuesday night – in addition to the capture of Onel Hernandez and Andraz Sporar.

Hernandez’s season-long loan from Norwich City was confirmed this morning, with the Cuban winger having watched Middlesbrough’s 1-1 draw with Blackburn from the directors’ box at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Sporar’s loan switch from Sporting Lisbon should be confirmed in the next 24 hours, with the Slovenian forward understood to have finally resolved the outstanding financial issues that were preventing him from signing off on his move.

Warnock does not want to end there though, and is targeting the acquisition of another centre-forward and a left-sided player before the window swings shut at 11pm on Tuesday.

Despite Warnock’s insistence that he would be switching his focus away from overseas targets at the end of last week, Boro continue to be heavily linked with a move for Rennes midfielder James Lea-Siliki, with a number of French media outlets reporting that a deal has been agreed.

Lea-Siliki, a 25-year-old Cameroon international, joined Rennes from Guingamp in 2017, but was made available for a transfer earlier this summer.

Hernandez’s arrival was confirmed today, with the 28-year-old having been involved in two successful Championship promotion campaigns during his time with Norwich.

He spent his formative footballing years in Germany, playing for Arminia Bielefeld, Werder Bremen, Wolfsburg and Eintracht Braunschweig prior to moving to England.

“I’m delighted to welcome him,” said Warnock. “He’s just the type of player we’ve been looking for.

"I think he needs us as much as we need him, having not played an awful lot over the past year. He’ll get plenty of opportunities here, and I’m looking forward to working with him.”

Sporar should also get plenty of chances to impress given Boro’s lack of alternative attacking options.

“I spoke to him (yesterday), and he said he’s going to the Portuguese embassy (today) to finalise what he needs to do,” said Warnock.

"He’s optimistic on that front. He’s then got three games with his country, but he’s looking forward to coming too.”

There will be departures ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, with Nathan Wood having spent Saturday in Edinburgh watching Hibernian beat Livingston after agreeing a season-long loan deal with the Easter Road club.

Djed Spence was not involved in Boro’s matchday squad at the weekend, and there is still a chance the 21-year-old could leave, while Sam Morsy, who was sent off in the closing stages of Saturday’s draw, is the subject of strengthening interest from League One side Ipswich Town.