Boro says Juninho is staying put

Middlesbrough today moved to quell speculation that fans’ favourite Juninho may be on his way out of the Riverside Stadium.

It has been suggested the 31-year-old Brazilian could fall victim to a close-season cull after manager Steve McClaren and chairman Steve Gibson promised difficult decisions will be made in an attempt to take the club forward.

Boro are reportedly tracking Barcelona striker Patrick Kluivert and Leeds forward Mark Viduka as they look to make changes to their squad but chief executive Keith Lamb insists there are no plans to off-load Juninho.

“Juninho is under contract at Middlesbrough and there he will remain,” said Lamb.

It is expected that several players – including striker Michael Ricketts and midfielder Mark Wilson – will be looking for new employers in the summer but Lamb says nothing has yet been decided.

“It’s the same for Juninho as for every other player,” he added.

“Players under contract at Middlesbrough are all under the same consideration for selection for games, and that includes Wilson and Ricketts, just as it does Juninho.”

Juninho, currently in his third spell at Boro, remains as popular with the fans as ever. Although he played a key role in firing the club to Carling Cup glory last season, he struggled for consistency.

He was dropped by McClaren after a poor start to the season which saw Boro take just one point from their first five games, and missed the conclusion of the campaign through injury.

McClaren had to change the shape of the side to accommodate Juninho and, although that proved effective at times – the South American was joint leading scorer with nine last season – his role behind one or two strikers often left the midfield exposed.

However, Lamb is adamant that speculation Juninho has played his last game for the club is wide of the mark.

“Nobody has told Juninho that he might not be selected,” he told the Evening Gazette.

“Juninho is the same as every other player in that he has been told to go on holiday, and then come back on July 5 for pre-season training.

“Every player who is under contract to us has been told the same thing.”

Boro’s efforts to attract a top-class striker to the Riverside have piled the pressure on Joseph Job, Szilard Nemeth, Massimo Maccarone and Ricketts.

Job is currently considering a new contract offer while Malcolm Christie, who is recovering from a broken leg, has impressed when he has been fit, but it would be a major surprise if all five remain on the books at the start of the new season.