Gareth Southgate claims Middlesbrough are in a similar position as Arsenal over needing to sell to sign new players.

The Boro boss admitted that club’s debt means that the finance part has to be looked after with player sales.

So far this summer, Southgate has brought Marvin Emnes from Sparta Rotterdam and Didier Digard from Paris St Germain, to the Riverside Stadium in reported £7.2million spending, while having sold George Boateng to Hull at reported fee of £1million.

Southgate is quoted in the Daily Mail, as saying when asked if he was simply able to buy without looking to sell, “No, it's not too simplistic. The finance of the club is public knowledge now, the debt has been well publicised.

“But that wasn't something that surprised us, we knew the situation, so I think people can understand the business decisions that have been taken over the last couple of years while I have been in the job.

“I have understood that from very early on in the job and I am comfortable with that. If you know what you have got to spend and what you have to cut back on, then you can plan.

“We have to remember the club has been through the process of building a new stadium and building a new training ground, which is a process other clubs still have to go through.

“Arsenal are in the same position, though obviously they have got a bigger stadium and a bigger fanbase, but they have got to finance things in a similar way.”