Baker is Middlesbrough's target to replace departing de Roon

Middlesbrough target Lewis Baker seen celebrating a goal for England in the European Under-21 Championship this summer (Picture: Nick Potts/PA Wire).

Holland international de Roon, 26, has returned to the Italian club for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £13m, just 14 months after joining Boro.

Boro are now closing in on Baker, 22, who is tipped to sign on a two-year loan, with the player having also been linked with Birmingham City and Reading.

Baker has spent the last two seasons at Dutch outfit Vitesse Arnhem and excelled in 2016-17 with a 15-goal haul, which helped the club lift the Dutch Cup for the first time.

Boro manager Garry Monk, whose side welcome Sheffield United in an all-Yorkshire affair at the Riverside Stadium tomorrow evening, said: “He (Baker) is a target and one of many that we have had throughout the summer months.

“We will see where that will get to within the coming days.

“It has been a big transition this year. It is never easy for a club when you have to make a big transition of players coming and going, which we have had to do.

“In terms of the way we are going to play and approach this season, it was needed.

“It has been great with the club, they have done extremely well with comings and goings.”

A busy summer of recruitment has seen Boro spend over £40m to sign Britt Assombalonga, Martin Braithwaite, Ashley Fletcher, Darren Randolph, Jonny Howson and Cyrus Christie, with more arrivals likely to come.

On the sales front, Boro are likely to bank a similar amount following the departures of de Roon, Gaston Ramirez, Bernando Espinosa, Cristhian Stuani, James Husband, Viktor Fischer and Jordan Rhodes.

Burnley have had a £5m offer for Hull City midfielder Sam Clucas rejected by the East Yorkshire club.

Clucas, Hull’s reigning player of the year, has enjoyed an outstanding two seasons with the Tigers after joining from Chesterfield for a bargain fee of £1.3m in 2015 and has been monitored by a number of Premier League clubs.

Rotherham United manager Paul Warne will make a decision on trialist defender Manny Onariase by this weekend.

The young Brentford centre-half, 20, has been training all week with the Millers, who are keen to add some cover in the middle of their back four.