MIDDLESBROUGH are having to be patient in their search for a new striker as Chris Wilder prepares himself to play the waiting game to get the targets he wants.

Boro have just Duncan Watmore and Josh Coburn as first-team strikers for next season while Callum Kavanagh and Sonny Finch have been involved in the first-team in pre-season. Uche Ikpeazu and Chuba Akpom have both been told they can leave.

Boro beat York City 3-2 last night in their latest friendly before they head out to Portugal as they step up their preparations for the new season. For the manager, he is happy with the contributions of Watmore and Coburn and predicts a big future for the latter but maintains they still need to improve their attacking ranks.

Wilder told BBC Radio Tees Sport: “We are looking around of course. There is a huge gap up at the top of the pitch. We’ve got Duncan (Watmore) and we’ve got young Josh Coburn. It’s been his first season in professional football and being on the first-team.

“Without opening myself up a bit, he will improve and he will have a career. Hopefully he will be a really good player for this football club but it’s about the here and now as well. The here and now is us putting a squad together with depth, with quality at the top of the pitch who can score. That should get us to where we want to be which is in and around the top end of the division.”

In recent weeks, Boro have held talks over moves for Southampton frontman Adam Armstrong and Newcastle United’s Dwight Gayle but are yet to make progress. Wilder admits that they could bring in certain forwards but don’t want to do it just for the sake of it.

Wilder continued: “I’m an impatient manager but we all are who are in the process of getting deals over the line. We’re all impatient, we’d all love to be in a position where there is another two or three bodies in the football club wearing that lovely blue shirt that I’ve seen tonight and making their debuts but it’s for the want of trying.

“Hopefully we will have more positive news but we have to be patient. The market is a small market and we are after quality so with that, the attitude you have to have is you have to stay patient. I could go and get but do I want those ones? Are they first choice? No they are not so it’s no good going to get something and not getting someone you really want.”