Gareth Southgate insists he is keen to keep Stewart Downing at Middlesbrough despite continuing speculation over the winger's future.Downing has long been linked with Tottenham and the 23-year-old's agent, Ian Elliott, was quoted yesterday saying negotiations over a new contract would be cut off because of a lack of progress.
Yet Southgate remains keen to discuss new terms with Downing, who has two and a half years left on his present deal.
Downing remains one of Southgate's key players and the winger brushed aside the contract wrangle to produce a fine performance in Boro's 1-0 win over fellow Premier League strugglers Wigan on Tuesday night.
"That was very helpful on the morning of a game!" Southgate said of Elliott's comments. "We would prefer to do our negotiating privately.
"I know it has been a frustrating and a difficult period for Stewart, there was speculation about him earlier in the month.
"But we have made it clear he is a big part of our club and a big part of our future. He knows what I feel. We want to get him sorted on a better contract than he is on.
"I know the agent said there wouldn't be any more negotiations but we would say you must always continue talking and keep opportunities open."
Southgate added that neither Spurs nor any other club have come forward with an offer for the player.
He said: "We have had no written bid at all. We have telephone conversations about almost all our players but until something is more concrete there is never a decision to make.
"But Stewart is not a player we are prepared to lose, at this time especially."
One player who has left Boro for Tottenham this week is former Newcastle and Real Madrid defender Jonathan Woodgate.
Southgate brought England centre-half Woodgate to his hometown team, initially on loan, in 2006 after an injury-wrecked spell in Spain and he admits he is sorry to see him go.
"We are disappointed," Southgate said. "We went to great lengths to get him here and he gave us a terrific season last year. He was very important.
"But I feel Jonathan has felt a little unsettled this year. He wanted the opportunity to play higher up the league and I think for him the move is probably a good thing.
"We were only prepared to let it happen if we felt we had players who couldcome in and do a job in that position. We feel we have got that.
"We are grateful to Jonathan and I hope it works out well for him. I have enjoyed working with him."
Boro put clear distance between themselves and the relegation zone as they emerged with three points from what ultimately proved a tense encounter with Wigan.
Southgate's side tore into their visitors early on and created several good opportunities to put the game beyond reach by half-time.
But they managed to convert only one, through Jeremie Aliadiere on 18 minutes, and they were almost punished for their profligacy late on as Jason Koumas and Emile Heskey forced good saves from Mark Schwarzer.
The scoreline still flattered Wigan, whose new-look frontline of new signing Marlon King, top scorer Marcus Bent and Heskey failed to fire.
Yet despite the performance, and a result that leaves his side in the bottom three, Latics manager Steve Bruce remained upbeat and believes he has a good enough squad to avoid relegation.
Bruce said: "I said when I took over this job two months ago I would have been delighted to be in this position because we were in danger of being cut adrift.
"We're not. We're right in amongst it. One win can lift us three or four places.
"A win last night for Sunderland lifted them four places. There are still 14, 15 games to go.
"It
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