AITOR KARANKA has confirmed that Middlesbrough have held talks with Patrick Bamford at the club's Rockliffe Park training base today.

Boro have been working on a season-long loan deal for the Chelsea forward throughout the summer and Jose Mourinho gave the go-ahead for the move last week.

But Boro have had to wait for Bamford to head for Teesside to finalise the switch and the 20-year-old has been at Rockliffe today to discuss the situation.

Karanka is confident something will be done but he is not prepared to announce the deal at this stage. He tried to sign Bamford last November, only for the player to head for Derby County instead where he scored eight goals in 23 appearances during a five-month loan.

The Boro boss said: "Yes we still want a striker. I hope it is close. I like Patrick Bamford. In my first month here last season I wanted to sign him but everything had already been done with Derby.

"I was speaking with my club to get him again and I am trying to convince him to join us today. He knows how important he could be for us. We are still in negotiations."

Middlesbrough face Bolton at the Reebok Stadium on Tuesday night but Bamford will not figure even if he does finalise his loan in time. Middlesbrough also remain interested in his Chelsea team-mate Lewis Baker.