Mowbray eyes transfer gems

Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray admits that he will be looking for 'little diamonds' in the transfer market this summer.

Boro boss looks to spend wisley

Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray admits that he will be looking for 'little diamonds' in the transfer market this summer. Ever since taking charge at the club in 2010, Mowbray has been tasked with coping with a severely reduced budget - whilst also trying to mould a squad capable of promotion to the Premier League. Boro go into the final game of the weekend, still with an outside chance of making the play-offs. And Mowbray admits that the club need to be smarter than ever in the transfer market. "Recruitment will be the key," Mowbray told the Northern Echo. "There will have to be some little diamonds pinched from a beach of pebbles, if you want to use that analogy. "That's the job, to find players for very little money and who make a huge impact. "We have done that in the past at West Brom for example. [Graham] Dorrans was £125,000 from Livingston and won player of the year in the Championship, [Youssouf] Mulumbu plays every week in the Premier League and cost £175,000 from Paris St Germain. "The job is to get out there and find those. If it's the Championship next year, we know the budget will come down - that doesn't mean we will be worse off, it would mean we need to find good players on less money who can make a bigger impact. "You keep the players you think can do a good job in the Premier League and surround them with those that will help the culture you try to create.

Budgets

"Budgets are coming down. It's a very difficult time. "Of course, it will depend which division we're in. Hopefully it will be the Premier League. We'll know better after Saturday's game, but if it's the Championship, then the new rules will apply. "I guess Financial Fair Play will favour the clubs with the largest crowds and make life harder for the smaller clubs. From my point of view, I'll work off the bottom line and stick to that as best I can." Middlesbrough chief executive Neil Bausor insists the club will be doing their best to back Mowbray, despite new Financial Fair Play rules being introduced in the Football League next term. "The parent company has agreed it will continue to support the club up to the maximum level possible under the new rules in order to maximise Boro's opportunities to return to the Premier League," he said. "We will sit down and come up with a more detailed budget as soon as possible."