Despite what Gareth Southgate said yesterday ("we have no need to sell Jonathan Woodgate"), Boro are willing to listen to offers ... but would prefer he went to Tottenham.Boro Want Woodgate To Go To Spurs - NOT Toon!
Despite what Gareth Southgate said yesterday ("we have no need to sell Jonathan Woodgate"), Boro are willing to listen to offers ... but would prefer he went to Tottenham.But the England international's future could be further complicated by the Magpies' interest in Spurs defender Pascal Chimbonda - and Tottenham's in Boro winger Stewart Downing.
Although the Teessiders claim they are doing nothing to encourage speculation about the future of a player signed for £7m from Real Madrid last summer, they have already told Spurs they can talk to him.
It's a 'Catch 22' situation for Southgate. With gates disappointingly low this season, sacrificing Woodgate would ease the financial pressure on the club ... but NOT on the manager.
The last thing Boro fans want is Woodgate and winger Downing leaving the club.
Kevin Keegan is a long time admirer of Woodgate, having handed the then-Leeds United defender his first England cap away to Bulgaria in 1999.
Keegan spoke this week of the need to bring a defender with good organisational qualities and Premier League experience to St James's Park.
Former chairman Freddie Shepherd (a man of few brain cells) famously told the Middlesbrough-born player the club were keeping the number six shirt for him, even though £8.5m signing Jean-Alain Boumsong was wearing it at the time!