Boro keep their options open
24 Jun 2008 - 08:17:38
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will keep his options open with regards to several unsettled players as he looks to improve his squad for the new season.
Southgate has already allowed Fabio Rochemback, Gaizka Mendieta and Dong-Gook Lee to leave the Riverside Stadium this summer, while goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer also left for Fulham after rejecting a new contract.
Midfield duo George Boateng and Gary O'Neil are reportedly unsettled on Teesside, but Southgate is not looking to make any rash decisions about the futures of any of his remaining players.
"There are a couple of players who were frustrated at a lack of first-team opportunities last year, but I think they will all want to come back in pre-season and see what the situation is," he told the club's official website.
"Obviously if we bring players in, that might impact on their opportunities again, but we have to try to evolve the squad, we have to try to continue to progress.
"Some of those younger players will come back stronger and better after the summer period.
"We haven't had offers for any of our players. The only interest we have had is in taking a couple of players who we have had loan enquiries for.
"But I am not prepared to make those decisions yet because any one of our players could be in the first-team at the moment."
Meanwhile, transfer target Didier Digard has revealed he hopes to join Boro in the coming days from current club Paris St Germain.
The France Under-21 international is set to join the north-east club in a £3.5million deal.