Middlesbrough Football Club News

• Nickname:Boro
• Founded:1876
• Manager:Tony Mowbray

• Ground:Riverside Stadium
• Capacity:35,049

Boro dismiss Yakubu exit

09 Aug 2007 - 17:23:56

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Middlesbrough have slammed press reports suggesting that star striker Yakubu could be set to leave the club to join Everton.

The 24-year-old Nigeria international was being linked with a possible £10million switch to Merseyside, but Boro chief executive Keith Lamb insists no such deal is in the offing.

He told the club's official website: "Naturally, all of the speculation over such a long period has unsettled Yakubu a little.

"But (manager) Gareth Southgate has made it absolutely clear to Yak that he has a major part to play in the club's future and we have no plans to sell him.

"The truth is that there has been no bid from Everton in any case, so we want Yakubu focused on Saturday's game with Blackburn Rovers and the season ahead."

Yakubu joined Boro in the summer of 2005 for £7.5million from Portsmouth and has gone on to score 35 goals in 101 appearances for the Teessiders.