Source: Northern_Echo
Can Boro keep a hold of key men?
WITH seven days remaining of the summer transfer window, Gareth Southgate would prefer to keep hold of his best players and retain what, he claims, is one of the best squads in the Championship.
Despite plenty of phone calls and interest, Southgate insists there are no new offers for his players and he is trying not to think about what could happen between now and 5pm on Tuesday, September 1.
With Joleon Lescott on the verge of a £22m move to Manchester City, Everton have been weighing up a replacement and David Wheater is in their sights along with Newcastles Steven Taylor.
Defensively Middlesbrough are well stocked, although there is a real reluctance on both the club and players part to do a deal for Wheater.
Southgate, however, did admit that every player has a price, as has been proved in the drawn out Lescott saga, even if the Boro boss would prefer to sell Afonso Alves for around £7m above anything else.
Robert Huth has also been attracting attention from Everton and Stoke City, while Aston Villa have considered both the German and his central defensive sidekick Wheater.
In an ideal world, though, Southgate would not lose either, just as he would prefer to keep Tuncay Sanli.
But needs must and Southgate knows chairman Steve Gibson and chief executive Keith Lamb feel it would make financial sense to offload the high earners before the end of the month.
We only have days to go and as the sands of time run by, you start to think theres a good chance Tuncay will still be around, said Southgate, who is likely to bring in former Sheffield United striker Danny Webber if a forward leaves.
If this is the squad we have got come September then we will have a very strong squad for this division.
He added: Im focusing on results and performances. If you get offers, like we have seen at Everton, that are worthwhile, then you have decisions to make. Unless that happens we dont have a decision to make.
Middlesbrough are at Nottingham Forest in the second round of the Carling Cup tonight, when Southgate will make a couple of changes.
He is keen, though, to keep the momentum going among the players after an unbeaten start by keeping mainly the same team.
That means Julio Arca is likely to play successive matches, with Southgate hoping the Argentine grabs his chance to shine in the absence of Gary ONeil and Didier Digard.
ONeil will have hernia surgery today and is not expected to return until the visit of Ipswich on September 12, when Digard is also hopeful of a return to action.
Julios opportunity has come. It was important he was ready and to have his experience in the squad is crucial to us, said Southgate. He gets on with his job, but by the same token he wanted to know why he was not involved.
I want players to be upset when they are not involved but I like those who are around the squad to conduct themselves in the right way.
Invariably he has that balance right.
Boro announced yesterday that left-back Joe Bennett, who was wanted on loan by Darlington, has signed a new three-year contract.
The 19-year-old could figure at some stage at the City Ground tonight.
If we were going to blood the youngsters in the Carling Cup I think wed have to go down to the Under-8s, said Southgate, who had nine Academy graduates in his match-day squad against Doncaster at the weekend.
Its good for the young lads to be getting a good run of games and experience winning.
Last season they were not in the core of the team so they were not scarred by relegation.
They are all hungry to improve and to work hard.
They are enjoying the challenge.
At this level we have players who can be among the best in their position in their division.
Tuncay and Tony McMahon are unlikely to figure tonight due to slight knocks sustained against Doncaster, and Southgate expects Forest to be intent on kick-starting their season after stuttering so far this season.
Whereas we want to keep momentum going, Forest will want a win to kick things off, he said. Any team with Billy Davies in charge will be very highly motivated and they will give you a tough game.
Boro: Coyne; Hoyte, Huth, Wheater, Grounds; Yeates, Williams, Arca, Johnson; Lita, Aliadiere.
