Middlesbrough have contacted Manchester United with an ambitious bid

Neven Subotic, Alvaro Negredo, Gaston Rameriz. Middlesbrough are bringing in some good recruits.

Aitor Karanka is not planning on going back to the Championship. No bloody way. The Boro boss is strengthening his squad ahead of the 2016/17 season after getting promoted from the Championship in May. Subotic and Negredo are set to be confirmed in the coming days while Ireland international Jeff Hendrick has also been linked with a switch. Karanka has now contacted Jose Mourinho, according to The Sunday Mirror, to enquire as to the availability of Adnan Januzaj. The Belgian international never got much of a chance from Louis van Gaal and a loan deal to Borussia Dortmund, last season, was less than successful. Januzaj is now 21 so will be eyeing a starting role in the coming months. Januzaj had been included on a list of eight players, last weekend, that were in danger of being cut loose by Mourinho. First team assurances at Middlesbrough would surely be a tempting offer. However, reports from United's Carrington training ground are that Januzaj and Phil Jones have been the two players that have impressed the new boss most in training. Jones has been told right-back is his best position so there should be fewer sightings of him in midfield. Januzaj, in Mourinho's mind, is a winger but he is flexible enough to play left or right. He replaced Jesse Lingard in the second half of United's 2-0 friendly win over Wigan, on Saturday, and was embraced by the new boss after the final whistle.