Middlesbrough latest: Striker target identified, Nottingham Forest scouting of Hayden Hackney revealed, Riley McGree injury | OneFootball

Heading into Tuesday night's clash with Preston North End, Middlesbrough currently sit 12th in the Championship standings.

Indeed, there is plenty of work to do between now and May if Michael Carrick's side are to be in the play-offs once again this season.

With the January transfer window just around the corner, one way in which the club can try to improve their position is in the transfer market, and in recent Middlesbrough news, there has been updates on this and more.

With that said, here are the latest reports surrounding the football club.

Middlesbrough linked with Brandon Vazquez

Having lost Chuba Akpom in the summer to Ajax, and with Cameron Archer returning to his parent club and then Sheffield United, Middlesbrough have a lot less firepower at their disposal than they did last season.

As such, this is something they are seemingly keen to address in January.

Indeed, Boro have now been linked with FC Cincinatti forward Brandon Vazquez.

According to TEAMtalk, Vazquez features highly on Middlesbrough's list of potential January targets, with Michael Carrick making it one of his top priorities to bring in a striker.

Another news story surrounding Middlesbrough is regarding Riley McGree, with Michael Carrick offering an update on the player ahead of Tuesday night's clash with Preston.

Carrick told the media it shouldn't be too long until McGree is fit once again, although did caution there was no definite timeframe on his return yet.

"Riley [McGree] is hopefully a matter of weeks really, a week or two really by the time he's back training but he's missed a lot so we'll be patient," Carrick told the Northern Echo.

"It's a frustrating one with Riley. It's a niggly one and an annoying one and it's hard to put a timeframe on. At the minute he's positive but I don't want to get ahead of it and predict the time, because he could could then be seen as having a setback when actually it's not, it's just the foot problem that he has is one of them problems.

"That's not me trying to hide anything, it just is what it is. We're patient with it. We're trying to get the boys back as quickly as we can but it's a long season and we need them back right. That's why we have the squad."

Nottingham Forest update on Hayden Hackney

Last but not least, and back on to the January transfer window and what it ocould potentially hold for Middlesbrough, an update has emerged regarding Hayden Hackney.

This is in regards to Nottingham Forest's interest in the midfielder.

Earlier this year, it was claimed that the 21-year-old was on the club's radar and now, a further, more recent update has emerged.

Indeed, ahead of the January transfer window, The Sun are reporting that Nottingham Forest continue to cast eyes over the young star, with the club's transfer chief Ross Wilson having checked Hackney out in England under-21 action over the internatonal break.