Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock hopeful of signing Yannick Bolasie on loan

Posted Thursday, January 28, 2021 by PA

Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock is hoping to complete the loan signing of Yannick Bolasie in the next 24 hours after the Everton winger turned down a proposed move to Turkey in order to make a temporary switch to Teesside.

Having seen a possible move to Middlesbrough collapse on transfer-deadline day in October, Bolasie has agreed to link back up with Warnock for the remainder of the campaign, having previously worked with the Boro boss during the pair’s time at Crystal Palace.

Warnock watched his Middlesbrough side crash to their joint-heaviest defeat of the season as goals from Matt Crooks, Michael Smith and Ryan Giles condemned them to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Rotherham.

He admits injuries have caught up with his shallow squad and is delighted to have been able to land Bolasie at the second time of asking.

Warnock said: “I hope it’ll get done. I spoke to him, and he was going to go to Turkey. But he spoke to me and I said, ‘Look, just come and enjoy yourself for a couple of months – you can always go to Turkey and places like that later’.

“He owes me anyhow because I did well for him at Crystal Palace. He’s looking forward to it, I think, and hopefully everything will be done in the next 24 hours.

“I was really flat earlier in the week because we were knocked back on two lads in the space of 24 hours. That’s why I was glad when Yannick spoke to me, and I’m glad he listened to me because I do think he’ll enjoy it here. It’ll give a lift to the lads because we haven’t really had anybody like that.”

After their win on Teesside, Paul Warne feels his Rotherham side are gathering momentum as they look to haul themselves out of the relegation zone at the foot of the Sky Bet Championship table.

The Millers’ 3-0 win lifted them to within two points of safety, and they still have two games in hand on Derby, who are a place above them in the table.

A justifiably satisfied Warne claims his side’s impressive display was merely a continuation of the impressive form they have been displaying since Christmas.

Warne said: “The last six or seven games have been good. We beat Bristol City at home and played really well, then played really well away at Blackburn but lost in the last second of the game.

“We had the Everton game (in the FA Cup), and then since then we’ve had two wins and a draw and the lads are in a really good place.

“We’re playing a different way to how to we were playing at the start of the season, and the system we’re playing probably allows us to put our best players on the pitch.

“I’ve got players coming back from injury, but it’s weird, we’re playing the best that we’ve played, but we’re in the worst position that we’ve been in all season. It’s a real oxymoron.”