Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate is determined to sign players who will make long-term impacts rather than short-term headlines.Southgate is back behind his desk and attempting to push through his summer spending plans with his club having already having made significant progress in their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Didier Digard.

However, there is much work to be done before the Teessiders launch the new Premier League season with Tottenham's visit to the Riverside Stadium before they head for Liverpool.

Spurs have wasted little time in strengthening their squad with manager Juande Ramos having already invested a total of around £21million in Luka Modric and Giovani dos Santos.

But Southgate knows only too well that big spending does not guarantee results.

He said: "We are obviously looking to strengthen our squad before then, while Spurs have already spent big.

"But they did that last season and still only finished a couple of places ahead of us, so spending a lot of money doesn't necessarily guarantee success.

"Big new signings can be exciting, but I want players who can make a long-term impact, not just a few early headlines."

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