Southgate resigned to Tuncay exit

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate admits Turkey striker Tuncay Sanli is almost certain to leave in the aftermath of the club’s relegation from the Premier League.

Southgate’s side slumped into the Championship on the final day of the season and a host of players will have to be sold as Middlesbrough come to terms with the harsh financial realities of life outside the top-flight.

Tuncay was one of the few players to come out of the season with any credit and Southgate concedes he will want to play at a higher level.

“We have to be realistic. Tuncay is an international player who is captain of his country. He has given everything right to the end, he’s a very special person and he’s been a pleasure to work with,” Southgate said.

“I will have to sit down with him and see what he wants to do but it’s obviously going to be very hard to keep him.

“He needs a stage on which to perform because he is that type of a character.”

One player who looks set to stay for now is England winger Stewart Downing, who will be sidelined until the start of next season with his foot injury – ruling out any potential transfer to a Premier League club.

“It looks as if Stewart could be with us until January at least because of the operation,” Southgate said.

“Certainly we might not have seen the last of Stewart in a Middlesbrough shirt.”