Boro in Huddlestone link
04 Jun 2008 - 15:56:46
Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate is being linked with a summer move for Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone.
Southgate is keen to add to his midfield options after allowing Fabio Rochemback and Gaizka Mendieta to leave Teesside while George Boateng and Gary O'Neil have both been linked with moves away from the Riverside Stadium.
Steve Sidwell, James Milner and Zoltan Gera have also been linked with Boro but former Derby County star Huddlestone is believed to be at the top of Southgate's wanted list.
Tottenham have already completed the big-money signings of Croatia international Luka Modric and have been strongly linked with Barcelona's Giovani dos Santos.
Meanwhile, Southgate believes Andrew Taylor has a big part to play in Boro's future.
The full-back was forced to miss the last two games of last season with broken ribs, and Southgate said: "It was a tough call on Andrew at the time because I love him to bits.
"He's going to be a top player, his mentality is brilliant and for him to be out of the team hurts.
"But Andrew had been playing with cracked ribs, he'd been in an enormous amount of pain and he'd put himself on the line. As a group of staff we think a tremendous amount of him because of what he's been prepared to do."