Boro chase Downing deal

Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb has admitted that the club hope to seal Stewart Downing to a new long-term contract. Downing has been locked in talks with Boro for a year as interest from Tottenham has emerged.

"I am very confident that we will reach agreement sooner rather than later," chief executive Keith Lamb told a fans' forum.

"It is something that myself and Steve Gibson have been very conscious of and have been working at over the last couple of weeks.

"I would not like to put a date on it, but I would hope that within the next four to six weeks, we get a solution to it that's acceptable to Stewart and to the football club, and then we can put it to bed and Stewart can concentrate on playing his football."