Boro may be Stew loan arrangers

Tyrone Barnett is looking at his loan move to Ipswich as a new start after experiencing problems at Peterborough.

The 27-year-old striker joined the Portman Road outfit on a two-month loan deal from Championship rivals Posh on Monday after he was placed on his parent side's transfer list for allegedly breaching club discipline.

"I got a phone call on Monday saying Ipswich wanted me and it was a nice surprise," he told Town's official website.

"It's been a difficult week, with what's gone on so I'm looking at this as a new start and the chance to get back to playing football and enjoying my football as well.

"I've not done that as much as I would have liked this season. Ipswich have given me a chance to come here and play some games and hopefully score some goals and that's what I'm looking to do.

"It's a fantastic football club. I have some good memories of the place after scoring here last season in one of my first games. Now I want to score goals for the club and I can't wait to get going."

Boro have been monitoring Downing's situation for the past few weeks as it has become apparent he is not going to be a first-choice starter under Brendan Rodgers.

Now Liverpool look ready to sanction a loan deal, which has alerted Boro to the possibility of striking a move for the 28-year-old.

Whilst a number of Premier League sides are known to also be keen on taking Downing from January, Boro are in a position where they could possibly strike a deal this week before Thursday's loan deadline.

Boro's initial thought was to wait until January but, with injuries impacting their squad in recent weeks, they are now ready to make a move this week, although it appears they face an uphill battle to try and do it before Thursday.

Boro's hierarchy are understood to have given the green light to a move for Downing, who is on considerable wages at Liverpool and a portion of them would need to be covered by any club taking him.

But, as with Jonathan Woodgate who returned in the summer, Boro hope the lure of moving back to The Riverside and possibly helping them back to the Premier League could be enough of an incentive for him to persuade him to drop down to the Championship for six months.

Downing left Boro in 2009 after making over 200 appearances for the club and joined Aston Villa, before moving to Liverpool last year.