No pressure to sell

Manager Tony Mowbray believes Middlesbrough's stabilising financial position should avoid him having to sell any of his leading players during the January transfer window.

Dutch striker Marvin Emnes has been a regular target of Premier League Swansea City, who are also said to be keen on out-of-favour midfielder Nicky Bailey.

However, Mowbray knows any further departures will be on his terms alone and with any incoming funds being allocated towards strengthening his own squad.

Boro have managed to offload a number of their higher paid performers over recent months, which has in turn helped ease the pressure on the purse strings at the Riverside.

"We're at the stage now where, unless it's a deal you can't turn down, there's no pressure coming from above for me to sell footballers," Mowbray told the Northern Echo. "Instead, if we're in with a genuine chance come January, I'd like to think the chairman will help us push on rather than think about trying to fill any holes financially.

"My job is to always improve things, and sometimes that can mean identifying a player, even if they're doing really well, and accepting that the price you've been offered is right," he continued. "That might enable you to bring two or three players in to fill another area in your squad."

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