Paul Warne wants four new players as Matt Crooks' move from Rotherham United to Middlesbrough is sealed

Matt Crooks has completed his £1million-plus transfer to Middlesbrough.
Matt Crooks has moved from Rotherham United to Middlesbrough for a fee of around £1million. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Matt Crooks has moved from Rotherham United to Middlesbrough for a fee of around £1million. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Matt Crooks has moved from Rotherham United to Middlesbrough for a fee of around £1million. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

The 27-year-old has left Rotherham after two and a half years service, signing a three-year deal at the Riverside Stadium.

The Millers make a hefty profit on the midfielder, having signed him for £200,000, though Northampton will be due some money in a sell-on clause.

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He becomes Middlesbrough's fifth summer signing and made his debut in a friendly at Plymouth on Friday night, having joined their pre-season camp earlier in the week.

Former Millers boss Neil Warnock – now in charge at Boro – said: “I'm delighted to have got him, I've always liked Matthew, for many years.

"He can play in different positions, and he's a wholehearted player that I think the fans will take to.

"I'm sure he'll have a good few years at Middlesbrough."

Crooks becomes the 12th player to leave the AESSEAL New York Stadium this summer and gives boss Paul Warne ammunition in the transfer market.

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He has already added free agent Shane Ferguson this week, but reckons he needs another four bodies before the start of the season.

“Everything seems to take longer, unless you want to throw ridiculous money at people, I think all transfers this window will be,” said Warne.

“Some clubs in our league have recruited fast and aggressively and they can do that but for us we have to make sure everything is right.

“What ends up happening in every window, a lot of players look for what they really want and slowly but surely reality kicks in and pre-season kicks in and players want to be in the club.

“I expect us to get a few more bodies in during the next couple of weeks. We need at least four in.

“We are running out of weeks pre-season but we cannot just not sign players for the sake of it.”