Middlesbrough's midfield preference and stance on a linked winger feature in this week's North East Notes, as well as the latest on Sunderland's head coach search and the future of Newcastle winger Yankuba Minteh.

Middlesbrough's midfield preference

It's no secret that one of Middlesbrough's transfer priorities this summer is a midfielder with a leading target identified.

Lewis O'Brien's Nottingham Forest return leaves Boro with three senior midfielders in captain Jonny Howson, Hayden Hackney and Dan Barlaser. Law McCabe will also be hoping to build on his breakthrough last season.

While the identity of Boro's targets has been kept under wraps, expect any incoming midfielder to be a ball-player who is brave in possession and looks to dictates play.

O'Brien, whose loan move last season was disrupted by a serious injury, was desperate to make the switch permanent but his salary at Forest was always going to make that extremely difficult. 

Boro's stance on linked winger

Karamoko Dembele was this week linked with a move to the Riverside this summer but the Northern Echo understands the winger isn't on Boro's transfer radar this summer.

Brest forward Dembele impressed on loan at Blackpool last season, scoring eight goals and chipping in with 14 assists.

That form has led to reports of interest from a string of clubs, with West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Brentford, Southampton, Everton, Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday all mentioned, as well as Boro.

But the 21-year-old doesn't feature in Boro's thinking ahead of the opening of the transfer window in the coming week.

Sunderland head coach latest

What will the next week bring in Sunderland's head coach search after Kyril Louis-Dreyfus statement in which he revealed he hopes an appointment is "imminent".

It came after a week in which interest in Pascal Jansen emerged and links with Dave Challinor and Stephen Robinson were dismissed. Interestingly, talk surrounding Liam Rosenior and Marti Cifuentes has picked up pace in recent days.

Rosenior remains available on the back of his surprise Hull City exit and while he was strongly linked with Birmingham early this week, the suggestion is the 39-year-old ultimately opted against taking that job because he wanted to wait for a Championship opportunity. That's understandable after leading Hull to a seventh-place finish last season.

As for Cifuentes, well he's obviously in a job at QPR so compensation would have to be agreed. That would be a change of approach for this current leadership group, who have previously gone for out of work bosses.

But the links with the Spaniard aren't new. He was first mentioned back in April. Indeed, he was quizzed specifically on suggestions Sunderland were interested, but said at the time: "I think if we believe everything we see on social media, it's going to be a long night. No, I have nothing to say."

Cifuentes did a hugely impressive job at Loftus Road last season. They were second bottom and had won just two of 14 games when he was appointed but ended up finishing level on points with the Black Cats.

READ MORE:

Liverpool boss has already made feelings known on Newcastle 'target'

Newcastle are said to be reluctant considering cashing in on exciting winger Yankuba Minteh, according to the Telegraph.

The Magpies have had high hopes for the teenager, who impressed on loan at Feyenoord last season, but there's growing interest in the forward and bids of £40m could tempt United to let him move on. Such a sale would help Newcastle in the battle to ensure they comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules and ease any pressure on cashing in on star assets Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes.

Liverpool are one of the clubs to have been linked with Minteh, with new boss Arne Slot having managed the winger at Feyenoord last season.

He said earlier this year: “Yankuba Minteh has mainly played a lot in his native country, where very few tactics are involved. If you are that fast, it is a huge weapon.

“One action and he is gone, then you will not catch up with him again. I think that his choices are already improving in the final phase.

“The bad thing for us is that if his choices become really good, he will probably no longer play for us.”