Premier League - Middlesbrough block Downing exit

Eurosport - Tue, 06 Jan 09:01:00 2009

Middlesbrough have confirmed they have rejected Stewart Downing's transfer request amid renewed interest from suitors Tottenham.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Carling Cup - Rodrigo Possebon, Manchester United and Stewart Downing, Middlesbrough - 0

Boro chief executive Keith Lamb said the club had turned down an improved bid from Spurs and that any further enquiries about the player would not be welcome.

Lamb told the club's official website: "We received a written transfer request from Stewart this morning (Monday). It was considered before being rejected.

"Prior to receiving the transfer request, we received an improved offer for Stewart from Tottenham.

"We immediately rejected this offer and informed Tottenham that Stewart Downing is not for sale and any further interest they have in the player will not be entertained."

The England international, who signed a new five-year deal with Boro in February last year, has become frustrated with the club's perceived lack of ambition and is desperate to quit the Riverside in a bid to further his career.

Downing's father had earlier claimed his son has little choice but to leave Middlesbrough if he wants to fulfil his ambitions.

Stewart Sr told the Evening Gazette: "Stewart's been frustrated since the summer, really.

"When he signed his new contract he was assured that there would be significant investment in the squad.

"He feels that the club haven't matched those expectations. He's also frustrated that the team is once again struggling in the Premier League.

"Obviously as a Middlesbrough lad, he's thought long and hard about the decision to hand in a transfer request, and he also hopes the fans will understand his reasons for doing so."

Spurs are thought to have offered in the region of £11 million for Downing, who came through the ranks at his hometown club.

But Boro chairman Steve Gibson and manager Gareth Southgate have insisted they will not allow Downing - or any other senior players - to leave as they look to arrest a worrying run of form that has seen the club go eight league games without a win.

"I have categorically told (Spurs chairman) Daniel Levy their interest is not welcome, nor will we entertain any further offers for Stewart," Gibson said.

"None of our senior players will be leaving the club this month."

Southgate said: "I'm not under any pressure to sell any player. In the situation we are in now we don't feel it would be right to let Stewart go."

Meanwhile, Lamb denied further speculation that midfielder Gary O'Neil had also handed in a transfer request.

"We have not received a transfer request from Gary but if we did receive one it would be rejected, as would any offer from another club.

"We believe that this squad of players is strong enough to substantially improve our league position and we are committed to keeping the squad together."

Mike Hytner / Eurosport

Comment 56 - 75 of 95

Sort comments by: Most recent
  1. he played for them
    notices it was a @#$% whole
    so he­ left

    UNITED FTW!!!

    From Boggey Man, on Mon 5 Jan 8:36PM
  2. if downing is the actual good lad he has come across­ as, this will be the end of the matter, fair play to­ him wanting to go, coz we are shocking at the moment,­ but i think he needs to remember his roots. what­ reception will he get on saturday?
    also, not liking­ this abuse on northerners, bad crack
    but southerners­ are @#$% to be fair.

    From karen.breckon, on Mon 5 Jan 8:04PM
  3. man this Downing dude has stolen the show this transfer­ market!!!im not a boro fan but i still watch some or­ most of the games on the EPL and this is the first time­ i have of Downing.is he really all that?come on, 15­ MILLION POUNDS?

    From epl supporter, on Mon 5 Jan 8:03PM
  4. lol im southern an ave got plenty of northern monkey­ mates. The topic of discussion was football lads, not­ inbreeding and education.
    Downing will move in the­ summer, southgate jus wants to make sure his jobs safe­ for anothe year. Tottenham prefer foreign players­ anyway, Robinson made some howlers last year an he was­ out but who did they replace him with. Laughable

    From Ben, on Mon 5 Jan 7:51PM
  5. Stick your invalid comments up your invalid comments­ arse holes you Yahoo @#$%s. Amazing this one got­ through but really good comments don't get throug

    From walkingsex1, on Mon 5 Jan 7:48PM
  6. oh shut Mick P you must have no life, I hate people­ like you who think they are big when they insult people­ on their computer and think they're big, you would­ never insult an northerner in real life, in fact­ you'd never insult a northern girl you little­ southern puff, oh and by the way I finished my gcses­ two years ago in a Newcastle school and passed them­ all! and so did all my year! and the year before! and­ the year after us! looks like a lot of northerners are­ "finishing school"
    @#$% you

    From tharumblestrips, on Mon 5 Jan 7:46PM
  7. The only good thing about the south, is that it's­ around 250 miles away from us northerners, so we only­ have to put up with you on these forums.

    Now go and­ eat your jellied eels and watch Eastenders

    From Popalu, on Mon 5 Jan 7:46PM
  8. yeah maybe i was a bit strong on wat i wrote but you­ lot moan about it when the southerners slag you lot of­ but its ok for you to do it to us would be great if we­ could all get on but that will never happen saddly. but­ hey im prpared to give it a go

    From mick, on Mon 5 Jan 7:39PM
  9. Hey Mick,what does the P stand for...Pri*ck comes to­ mind

    From adrian.jones34, on Mon 5 Jan 7:35PM
  10. D R arent you confusing north east girls with your­ mother

    From ALAN A, on Mon 5 Jan 7:29PM
  11. oh dear rumble strips that comment just proved my point­ about wat idiots you are cant you think of your own­ things to say that is wat i said inbreed. thank god i­ am a southerner i would top my self if i thought my­ sister might be my mum... scum bag

    From mick, on Mon 5 Jan 7:28PM
  12. mickp obvious what the p stands for you biggoted idiot­ talk like that is exactly why theres a north south­ devide southerners are so full of themselves and you­ just compound the fact

    From ALAN A, on Mon 5 Jan 7:26PM
  13. shut up Mick P go shag your mother you inbred southen­ puff

    From tharumblestrips, on Mon 5 Jan 7:18PM
  14. this north and south thing is getting a bit silly the­ further north you go a well known fact.. the more­ simple they are. no brains southerners are much more­ intelligent people, i think it is up north theres to­ much in breeding.so to every 100 intelligent londoners­ theres one northener who just might finish school

    From mick, on Mon 5 Jan 7:13PM
  15. this message is for D R
    the north east is nothing like­ that iv lived up here for 15 years..
    i am an original­ essex lad and i live in durham in the north east­ now
    but the north east people are exacly the same as­ south east,west,north west ,welsh,irish people
    only­ difference is a difference accent and different weather­ reports
    so before you single the north east out try it­ for ya self yeh

    From josh_bebb, on Mon 5 Jan 7:13PM
  16. njhj\sh\ajdhsdjhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhssssssss­ sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssjkajjj

    From owen, on Mon 5 Jan 7:07PM
  17. I @#$% despise people like you D R all there is in the­ south is London and that is one big dump, at least in­ the north you can get in a car and a hour later you can­ be somewhere else, if you did that in London you would­ have just made it out of your driveway, I agree­ middlesborough is a dump doesn't mean everywhere­ else is, I believe Newcastle was nominated for the­ capital of culture , the only culture in London is that­ you can be stabbed by a person of every nationality­ what a nice place to live

    From tharumblestrips, on Mon 5 Jan 6:57PM
  18. @60 Shame that uneducated people like yourself are­ allowed to access these forums, never mind being let­ out of the asylum for day release in the community

    From Popalu, on Mon 5 Jan 6:46PM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Who wants to live in the North east anyway? I­ don't! The sort of place where the mothers go back­ to there rented flat after dropping the kids off and­ drink Stella together all day wearing white denim mini­ skirts and dirty high heels....Always bloody raining­ and they are practically scottish! what a dump!

    From D, on Mon 5 Jan 6:45PM
  20. are u saying shay (a keeper) has 3-4 years left, ha!­ maybe if he was a striker, he has at least 7-8, are you­ forgetting that other great keepers like Seaman and­ Schmeichel went on til they were almost 40­ so............ unless he has a career destroying injury­ in 3-4 years I can easily see him playing on past that­ and why did you call me a nerd, you called me a­ "bantham fodder" I'm sorry but wtf does­ that mean, doug.bragan you FREAK

    From tharumblestrips, on Mon 5 Jan 6:39PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account