Left winger’s old man believes it will be good for his career

Gareth Southgate and Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson are adamant that none of their players will be sold during the January window, but the part-time DJ is one of approximately 6,000 players on Harry Redknapp’s want list. He handed in a transfer request this morning, a decision which may have been influenced by his father, also named Stewart Downing. The Mirror quotes:

“Stewart’s been frustrated since the summer, really.

“When he signed his new contract he was assured that there would be significant investment in the squad.

“He feels that the club haven’t matched those expectations. He’s also frustrated that the team is once again struggling in the Premier League.

“Obviously as a Middlesbrough lad, he’s thought long and hard about the decision to hand in a transfer request and he also hopes the fans will understand his reasons for doing so.”

On the surface, Downing’s departure would be a disaster for Middlesbrough, but they would be crazy to refuse an offer that meets their £15m valuation. Rather than haggling with Harry “I love money” Redknapp, perhaps they should get in touch with Manchester City, who have already demonstrated that they are willing to overpay, and will make no attempt to negotiate a price.