Middlesbrough midfielder George Boateng believes the Teessiders will not see the best of record signing Afonso Alves until next season.Boro stumped up £12million to sign Alves from Heerenveen in January, but the Brazilian striker has yet to score in six appearances.

He has not featured in the club's last two matches and was criticised for his performance in the FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Cardiff City earlier this month.

But Alves has been defended by Boateng, with the Dutch midfielder adamant his new team-mate needs time to settle into English football.

Unfair

"The manager keeps telling everyone to give Alves a chance and I couldn't agree more," said Boateng in the Daily Star.

"He needs time to settle and by that I mean six months. He's one for the future.

"We do not need a scapegoat at our club and some of the things said about him after the Cardiff defeat were very unfair.

"From what I've seen in training, and from flashes of the games he has played, he is going to be an exciting part of the club's future."

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