Aitor Karanka says 'I'm staying and Middlesbrough are staying up'
Thursday 2 February 2017 14:36, UK
Aitor Karanka says there was never any chance he would leave Middlesbrough last month despite a frustrating transfer window.
Boro brought in Patrick Bamford, Rudy Gestede and Adlene Guedioura but failed to land Karanka targets Bojan, Jese Rodriguez and Robert Snodgrass.
The manager was also caught up in a row with the club's supporters as Boro went the whole of January without a Premier League win.
But speaking at his press conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Tottenham, Karanka said: "My position? No. I don't know how I can make it clear because always there is something negative about me, my relationship with the players or that I wanted to leave last season or I had been sacked this season.
"The best reason is that I am here, the team is competing every single game, the team is facing the best teams in the world and we are competing against every single team.
"We have an amazing challenge to stay in the Premier League and I am sure we will be in the Premier League next season.
"It's normal when you are expecting to sign players and in 24 hours, two or three players you were expecting don't arrive. As a coach, it's impossible to be happy, it's a normal frustration.
"But the transfer market has finished and always after the transfer window, I say my squad is the best squad in the world."
Gaston Ramirez remains part of that squad despite agitating to join Leicester, and the Uruguayan "will be important n the future", according to his boss.
Karanka was less sure about the merits of Jordan Rhodes and sanctioned the £10m sale of the striker to Sheffield Wednesday on Deadline Day.
"His attitude was good, but you have to make decisions and I didn't feel he was ready," he said. "But I hope he scores in this period 10 or 12 or 15 goals and next season, we will see him in the Premier League and play against him."
