Downing double boost for Boro
Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing is poised to deliver a double coup for the club.
After lengthy negotiations, and despite Tottenham making a recent cheeky £6m (€8.7m) bid for the England international, Downing is poised to sign a new five-year contract before the end of the month.
The deal is a reflection of Downing’s rapid rise to prominence last season as he not only became a first-team regular, but was also thrust into the England squad.
Boro chief executive Keith Lamb confirmed: “We met with Stewart’s agent [Ian Elliott] and agreed in principle a new five-year contract.”
Manager Steve McClaren added: “We have said all along that we wanted to keep Stewart here at Middlesbrough, so we are delighted that everything has been finalised.”
McClaren has also revealed Downing should be ready for the Barclays Premiership opener against Liverpool at the Riverside on August 13 following knee surgery this summer.
Downing was involved in last week’s training camp in Portugal and McLaren added in the Evening Gazette: “We’re confident Stewart will be ready for mid-August.”
Also on the comeback trail is Gaizka Mendieta, whose enforced absence after sustaining a serious knee ligament injury against Portsmouth last October enabled Downing to make his mark.
Midfielder Mendieta then missed the remainder of the season, but on Saturday played in his first competitive game since the injury, coming through 60 minutes of a behind-closed-doors practice match against Oldham.
“It was an excellent work out all round,” said McClaren. “It was perfect for what we needed at this stage. We were able to give a lot of players a good work out, including Mendi who came through with flying colours.”
McLaren is poised to launch another bid for Juventus midfielder Stephen Appiah, who has issued a ’come and get me’ message to the host of Premiership clubs chasing his signature.
The £13.7m (€19.9m) arrival of former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira has not helped the cause of the 24-year-old, who feels it is now time to move on.
Boro have long been interested in the Ghana international, although were rebuffed when they recently asked to take him on loan for the season, while Birmingham, Everton, Spurs and Fenerbahce are also believed to be in the hunt.
Appiah, who is set to discuss his future with Juve general manager Luciano Moggi later this week, said: “Vieira is a good buy for Juve and I would have loved to play alongside him, but I have to think about my own career.
“The Premiership is the league to be in right now and I think it will be good for my career as I’m in the best shape and I want to win more trophies.
“I want to play week in week out and be in top shape if we [Ghana] qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
“I hear Tottenham are the latest side to be interested in me and playing in London would be great, but let’s wait and see.”
Appiah has indicated he would prefer to play in Europe, which would suggest Everton and Boro have the edge with the clubs in the Champions League and UEFA Cup respectively.
Boro, meanwhile, are in discussions with Siena with regard to extending out-of-favour striker Massimo Maccarone’s loan deal for another season.
The 25-year-old, an £8.15m (€11.8m) buy from Empoli three years ago, struggled in the first part of last season while on loan at Parma before enjoying a more successful spell at Siena who are now looking at securing the player for next term.
But there are problems as agent Paolo Fabbri said: “Siena want the player for another loan season, but the conditions that both clubs want are still different.
“Siena have made an important offer regarding the player’s salary, as they cannot pay Maccarone's whole wages, but their offer is not what Middlesbrough want. For such reason, both clubs will meet on Wednesday in Milan to find a solution.
“Massimo doesn’t mind staying at Siena or going back to Middlesbrough. He wants to be at a club where he is guaranteed some playing time, and that is more likely at Siena.”
