Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate admits he will have to sell before he can buy as the club's financial state shows no sign of improving.Boro have signed midfielder Didier Digard from Paris St Germain and Sparta Rotterdam striker Marvin Emnes for a combined fee of around £7.2million since the end of last season, but the January purchase of Afonso Alves in a deal worth £12.7million means Southgate must offload players before he can bring any more in.

Despite removing the likes of George Boateng, Gaizka Mendieta and Fabio Rochemback from the wage bill, Southgate told the Evening Gazette: "Whatever happens will balance itself out in numbers from now on in.

"We've got a senior squad of 22 and if we lose somebody from that then they'll be replaced.

"We've still got some good young players to come in from underneath that, the likes of Rhys Williams and Seb Hines, who you would hope would push to come into the squad some time this year.

"But I think that size of squad - two for every position - is really all we can carry at the size of a club like ours.

""No, it's not too simplistic (to say he has to sell before he can buy)," he said.

"The finance of the club is public knowledge now, the debt has been well publicised.

"But that wasn't something that surprised us, we knew the situation so I think people can understand the business decisions that have been taken over the last couple of years while I've been in the job.

"I've understood that from very early on in the job and I'm comfortable with that. If you know what you've got to spend and what you have to cut back on, then you can plan.

"We have to remember the club has been through the process of building a new stadium and building a new training ground, which is a process other clubs still have to go through.

"Arsenal are in the same position, though obviously they've got a bigger stadium and a bigger fan base, but they've got to finance things in a similar way."

However, the January signing of Alves proves to Southgate that chairman Steve Gibson will back him when necessary.

Southgate continued: "That showed that we still, at the right time, have the backing of a benefactor prepared to help us out, and that's fantastic support.

"We feel generally we should go away from that type of investment although, having said that, if Afonso goes on to score the goals we feel he can score, then he will prove to be a bargain."

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