Source: SKY_Sports
Southgate - No bids received
Gareth Southgate has insisted that Middlesbrough have not yet received any offers, although he expects his squad to look very different when the new season kicks off.
Players such as Tuncay Sanli and Stewart Downing have been linked with moves away from The Riverside following Boro's relegation to
the Championship.
Southgate maintains that there are no firm bids on the table but he is realistic about the chances of keeping some of his key men.
"At the moment we have had no bids. We have had enquiries over people and speculative interest but no firm offers for anybody," he told Sky Sports News.
"The squad as it stands is well balanced and has a lot of quality. I don't expect it to be the same squad when we kick off in four weeks and I have to monitor the possibility of other players coming in.
"I would like to retain everybody who wants to be here and is ready for the challenge of trying to get us back up."
Downing is set to be sidelined for several months following foot surgery but Southgate has warned interested parties they may face stiff competition if they wait until January to try to sign him.
He said: "He won't be fit for the start of the season, but it depends whether clubs want to take him now.
"Come January, there might be four or five other clubs involved."
Southgate admits that Tuncay is also likely to leave during the
transfer window after producing a series of eye-catching performances in the Premier League last season.
"I would expect that for a player of his quality - and not only his quality, but his character as well - there would be a lot of interest in him," said Southgate.
"The market has been fairly quiet, generally speaking, up to now. But I wouldn't think we would be able to hang on to a player of his talent and his ability.
"He is an international player. We have got quite a few players I
would class as Premier League players, but he is certainly a top-half Premier League player."
Southgate also confirmed that Afonso Alves and Mido would both be punished for missing the first two days of pre-season training, although one of the two has now returned to the squad.
"Afonso is back in training; Mido isn't back yet. We know when we are expecting him back," he explained.
"He should have been back on Monday. He was not - we have dealt with it. Both the players will be disciplined - end of story, as far as we are concerned."
