TONY PULIS has reiterated the need to add pace and direct-runners to his Middlesbrough squad, having put a deal in place to secure the services of Rajiv van la Parra from Huddersfield.

The Dutchman has been on Teesside for a medical and to discuss terms and should sign on loan until the end of the season on January 1, with a view to a permanent deal.

The 27-year-old is one of a number of wide players that has been under consideration by Pulis and his recruitment team and there is expected to be further additions made in that area in the coming weeks. Albert Adomah and Jason Puncheon are two options.

Middlesbrough have struggled to field wingers, particularly with experience, since Adama Traore opted to head for Wolves in an £18m deal when a clause in his contract was triggered.

That explosive pace which Traore offered is something that has never been replaced. And while there is an acceptance Traore’s speed is exceptional and hard to make up for, Pulis has been determined to improve his options on that front.

The Middlesbrough boss said: “We need people who are going to beat people and run past people. It will certainly help. We brought two players on against Sheffield Wednesday, Lewis Wing and Marcus Tavernier, who have given us a spark.

“I don’t want to overcook it but if they’re not there (in January) they’re not there, we have to get on with what we’ve got. There’s been enough money spent, I don’t want to buy for the sake of it.”

Pulis would not elaborate on how confident he was of adding to his squad, merely suggesting that Middlesbrough “will see” and “we could pick one up”, but the reality is he wants more.

There will not be any new faces in the ranks to face Ipswich at the Riverside today, nor will there be any at Derby on New Year’s Day as signings would have been completed in time to appear at Pride Park.

Middlesbrough would love to head into the New Year on the back of a positive result, as they head into a game with bottom club Ipswich struggling to impress at home. Another failure to impress at the Riverside would seriously frustrate the home crowd.

Pulis said: “The players have got to dust themselves down, get out and roll their sleeves up and put a performance in. I thought the fans were good in the second half against Sheffield Wednesday, they stuck with us.

“Obviously there’s frustration. It’s not the first time we’ve been talking about what we’ve been talking about. We need to improve and start to score more goals, take our chances and convert our crosses.”

Middlesbrough will still be without full-back Ryan Shotton against Ipswich. He will be assessed further next week mid fears he will not be back soon. Paddy McNair and Dael Fry are the two contenders to play that role.

Pulis will be weighing up whether to tinker with the system again, having been left frustrated by the defeat to the Owls. Regardless of who plays, though, defender Aden Flint does not think the Tractor Boys can be taken for granted.

Flint said: “We know what this division is like and there are no ‘easy’ games. It’s only a couple of days in between and that is good for us. There’s no time to dwell on the result. We have got to move on quickly.

“It makes the game on Saturday even bigger now we have lost to Sheff Wed. Regardless of what team we are up against, the result makes Saturday even bigger.”

Boro are now nine points shy of second placed Norwich, and it is the top two which is still the aim having been left disappointed in May by play-off frustration.

Flint said: “We are still in the mix. That is where we want to be. This result isn’t what we wanted but we are still in there and if we can put a little run together then we can still chase the top two down.

“It is a busy time of the season. We have to dig in, makes sure we give it our all and get the results we want and hopefully achieve our ambitions.”