Middlesbrough notebook with Tottenham striker linked as St Mirren set Hemming transfer stance

Middlesbrough have scouted Tottenham striker Will Lankshear, but are not yet at a stage where they will be making a move as they patiently plot their summer business.

This week a report claimed that Boro are keen to land the teenage Tottenham striker on loan this summer. However, the report said they face fierce competition for the 19-year-old who scored 22 goals in just 24 games for Spurs' under-21s this season.

It's true that Boro want to add another centre-forward this summer and Lankshear is a player they have scouted over the last 12 months. However, with immediate priorities elsewhere currently, and the summer still young with the current season not actually over for Premier League sides, Boro won't be making any final decisions on the striker they target this summer quite yet.

READ MORE: Emmanuel Latte Lath's agent quizzed on striker's Middlesbrough future and chances of summer move

While they have a list of potential targets, on which Lankshear features, they will patiently wait to assess the market and gauge the value of alternative targets before making a final decision on which of their targets they prioritise.

It's believed that this week's reports are an attempt to drive up interest in the talented young striker who started in Arsenal's academy, made a move to Sheffield United before being snapped up by Spurs in a deal believed to be worth £2 million.

While Boro would usually prefer permanent signings, their pursuit of a striker will be an interesting one this summer. Emmanuel Latte Lath ended the season in fine form and there are hopes he will continue that into next season, leaving him on track to smash the 20-goal landmark next term. Josh Coburn will be fit again, too with hopes high for him to build on the experiences of this season.

But given the injury troubles of last term, Boro do want another striker and have proven that, in the right circumstances, they will still look to the loan market if it means getting a level of quality they otherwise can't find elsewhere at an affordable price.

Scouting Lankshear in the past 12 months or so is part of a club policy to keep an eye on the academy sides of all top clubs in the hope they spot potential talent for loan signings or those who may fall through the cracks and find themselves looking for new clubs having failed to make the grade there.

St Mirren set Zach Hemming stance

St Mirren will be in the running to re-sign goalkeeper Zach Hemming if Boro decide to move him on this summer, but Buddies boss Stephen Robinson expects him to be in demand.

The 24-year-old has been in fine form while on loan at the Ayrshire club this season and has played a huge role as they sit fifth in the Scottish Premiership, securing a Europa Conference League place next term.

Asked about Hemming's future, Robinson told the Daily Record: "We’ve been in constant dialogue with Middlesbrough. My head of recruitment Martin Foyle, who has been fantastic for me, is in constant dialogue with all the players who we’re trying to get back.

“We’d love to have Zach back again. That might not be an early decision. Middlesbrough might want him back in pre-season. He’ll have a lot of people looking at him. With loan players you’re dictated to by the parent club and so at the moment we’re not in control of that. So, we have to look at other options which we are doing.

“Following Trevor [Carson] – who is an international goalkeeper, a fantastic one, and a great boy – it shows the level Zach is that he’s come in and done as well as Trevor. Nobody has mentioned the fact Trevor left because Zach’s been that good. We’re confident in our recruitment and what we do. We just try to do it more efficiently than everyone else."

Boro will have a dilemma on their hands with Hemming this summer. The shot-stopper has two years remaining on his contract and at 24, will surely want to find a home to establish himself after what is his sixth loan spell away from Boro. Though Jamie Jones is likely to leave at the end of his contract, Michael Carrick's squad still boasts Seny Dieng and Tom Glover - who have both been the subject of interest ahead of the summer.

Sol Brynn will also return from a loan spell at Leyton Orient and is hungry to challenge at Boro, with his agent tipping him to be a future Premier League goalkeeper. That could leave Boro open to the sale of Hemming providing the price is right, and while St Mirren are unlikely to have a huge budget, their European qualification could help them land him.

Finn Azaz wins Plymouth Argyle award

Finn Azaz may have been at Boro for four months now but that didn't stop him winning a Plymouth Argyle award for his efforts in the first half of the season. At the Green Army's end-of-season awards, Azaz picked up the Goal of the Season award.

His strike against Watford on New Year's Day, which proved his last for the Devon club before his move to Boro, won the award with 45% of the fan vote. Boro fans likely watched the goal plenty as Azaz was preparing to sign for Boro from Aston Villa. As a corner was headed clear, Azaz side-footed a volley sensationally into the far corner from 20 yards.

Incidentally, he had two goals feature in their top three - with his goal against Boro voted third in the public vote. Using the run of a team-mate, Azaz cut inside and produced a wonderful strike, curling one beyond Dieng into the far corner.

Neil Warnock's latest football role

Ex-Boro boss Neil Warnock claims again to have retired from management following his spell at Aberdeen earlier this season, but he has taken a new role in football. Having talked while at Boro about the potential of moving upstairs, he has now agreed to join the board at non-league side Torquay, based in Devon, not too far from his Cornwall home.

Pending their takeover, Warnock will sit on the board of the Gulls as a Football Advisor as the Bryn Consortium set to take over the club and rescue it from administration, subject to creditor approval.

Michael Westcott, co-chairman of the Bryn Consortium, said: “We are delighted Neil is joining the board. He brings an unrivalled wealth of football knowledge and experience to Torquay United as we look to rebuild.

“There is a strong chemistry and mutual respect between Neil and Paul [Wotton - new manager] and we are excited about their approach to building a squad and the uncompromising brand of football they want our team to play.”