Boro deny third Spurs bid for Downing

Middlesbrough today denied they had rejected a third bid from Tottenham for winger Stewart Downing.

Reports had earlier claimed Spurs had upped their offer to a package which would eventually amount to £14.5m (€15.9m), a little short of Boro’s £15m (€16.4m) valuation of their home-grown talent.

However, two days after rejecting the Londoners’ second bid, which is understood to have been in the region of £11m (€12.1m) with a further £2m (€2.2m) related to appearances, the Teessiders were said to have given a similar response.

Boro today insisted that was simply not the case.

A spokesman said: “That’s not true, we have not had another bid.”

The latest developments have left the 24-year-old caught in a crossfire of claim and counter-claim with sources close to the player adamant Spurs have refused to take Boro’s unwavering stance as a definitive ’no’.

However, chairman Steve Gibson, chief executive Keith Lamb and manager Gareth Southgate show little sign of softening in their approach to an issue which is refusing to go away.

The reports suggest Tottenham would pay £12.5m (€13.7m) for Downing’s services and a further £500,000 (€547,175) for every 30 appearances up to a total of £2million .

But Boro have refused to allow the departure of their most successful Academy graduate despite his stated desire to leave his home-town club.

The midfielder handed in a written transfer request on Monday after Spurs had already had one offer rejected as they launched their latest attempt to prise him away from the Riverside Stadium.

Middlesbrough’s response, as it has always been in the past, was unequivocal.

Lamb said: “We received a written transfer request from Stewart this morning. It was considered before being rejected".

“Prior to receiving the transfer request, we received an improved offer for Stewart from Tottenham".

“We immediately rejected this offer and informed Tottenham that Stewart Downing is not for sale and any further interest they have in the player will not be entertained.”

But having managed to push through their move to bring Jermain Defoe back to White Hart Lane despite Portsmouth’s initial reluctance to part with him, Spurs are not giving up without a fight.

Gibson has never been afraid to battle for his club and with the Teessiders lying perilously close to the Premier League relegation zone, he has no intention of allowing one of his better players to leave.

However, he knows the only way he can provide Southgate with a transfer kitty this month is to allow him to sell, and it remains to be seen how he strikes a balance between the club’s overall needs and the wishes of a player who has clearly made up his own mind.

Downing signed a five-year deal just 11 months ago, but his father has revealed that events since have left the player believing Boro’s ambition does not match his own.