Overview
- Sources reported that Blackpool have agreed a season-long loan with Middlesbrough for 21-year-old defender Finley Munroe and that he was undergoing a medical as the deal awaited final checks and formal completion.
- Munroe is primarily a left-back who can also play at centre-back and has been identified by manager Ian Evatt as a leading target to replace James Husband and strengthen the left side of the defence.
- Middlesbrough signed Munroe from Aston Villa in January for around £300,000 and gave him a long-term contract, and the club say a loan is intended to speed his progress after he made only three Championship appearances late last season.
- His rise followed productive loan spells, most notably a 27-game stint at Swindon Town where he supplied six assists and two goals, performances that helped earn his permanent move to Middlesbrough.
- Other EFL clubs had shown interest in Munroe before this move and a completed loan would give Blackpool immediate depth for the league campaign and give Munroe a platform to push for regular first-team football.