Boro must sell before buying

Southgate keen to ensure he has a balanced squad

Last updated: 23rd July 2008

Gareth Southgate Middlesbrough FA Cup Cardiff

Southgate: Wants a balance

Related links

Teams

Also see

Gareth Southgate admits he will have to sell before he can add further new signings to his Middlesbrough squad.

Boro have brought in Marvin Emnes and Didier Digard during the summer and recently sold George Boateng to Hull City.

The club continue to be linked with players, with Reading midfielder James Harper and Sevilla striker Aroune Kone rumoured to be among Southgate's targets.

However, Southgate is keen to ensure his squad is well balanced and accepts he must move players on before recruiting any more fresh faces.

Comfortable

"Whatever happens will balance itself out in numbers from now on in," Southgate told the Evening Gazette.

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

"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.

"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."

Prem 08/09 Top N East Club Win Outright: Middlesboro 9/5