Bristol Rovers and Middlesbrough loan transfer agreed for five-goal Championship striker

A busy day is expected at the Memorial Stadium as news comes to light of a potential loan from Boro
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Bristol Rovers are close to making a deadline signing of Josh Coburn on loan from Championship outfit Midlesbrough.

The Gas are in the market for attacking players on the final day of the transfer window and Coburn would certainly fit the bill.

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The 19-year-old is being allowed to leave the Riverside Stadium on a temporary basis after falling down the pecking order at the Teeside club following the arrivals of Marcus Forss from Brentford and Matthew Hoppe from Mallorca

A move away to recapture the form he once showed when he burst on to the scene at Boro could now be the thing needed to kickstart his career.

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie said that a deal had been agreed, which would make Coburn one of two loan signings on Deadline Day.

Coburn is a product of Middlesbrough’s academy system and burst onto the scene last season. He netted five goals in 23 Championship appearances for them and also scored the match-winning goal against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup last season.

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His move is likely to be a season-long one as he has already played for Middlesbrough this season, albeit 27 minutes which limits him to just one more club.

FIFA’s two-clubs-per-season rules means that he would be unable to go elsewhere if recalled in January, so both parties would hope he would be a success in the West Country.

Despite an apparent immediate arrival, any debut would at least be a few weeks away as he has been sidelined for almost the whole month of August.

Coburn has around ‘four to five weeks’ to go on his recovery according to the Northern Echo after sustaining a knee injury against West Bromwich Albion.

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After sustaining his injury, Boro boss Wilder still confirmed his intentions for Coburn to depart on loan. He said on August 9: “Is he going to be fit in the next 21 or 22 days? No. But he’s a young boy progressing and he’ll hopefully be a quick healer. He’ll be working tremendously hard.

“I’m sure as well, with the loan market going through to January 1, there will be an opportunity for Josh. And if not, he will be part of the group.

“I do believe there will be an opportunity for Josh to go out on loan and maybe he might have to do his rehab here before he then goes, but I still think there will be big interest in him. If not, he will be part of the group.”

Fulham’s Bulgarian Under-21 international winger Sylvester Jasper is also on his way to discuss a loanto and the arrival of Coburn would add numbers to an area Rovers need to strengthen in.

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If both Coburn and Jasper were to join, there would be space for two more loan players with Everton centre-back Lewis Gibson their other temporary signing.

Rovers have spent transfer fees on Jordan Rossiter, James Connolly and Luke McCormick this summer, which has led them to prioritise loan signings in the dying embers of the window.

Sky journalist Downie also added that Newcastle United midfielder Matty Longstaff is also set to join Rovers’ League One rivals Barnsley as they

Barnsley had been interested in Adam Phillips, who was once touted for a move to the Memorial Stadium, but opted to push ahead and sign Luke McCormick.

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