GEORGE BOATENG feared Middlesbrough's answer to Arjen Robben was about to turn his back on Teesside this summer.

The Dutchm midfielder is relieved that winger Stewart Downing has verbally agreed to pledge his future to Boro and sign a new five-year deal.

Having lost Bolo Zenden to Liverpool, Boateng was fretting that Downing was going to follow the former Chelsea man out of the Riverside.

The 20-year-old was targeted by Tottenham and the Londoners had a £6m bid turned down, fuelling speculation the player was available at the right price.

But, after talks with agent Ian Elliott, a conclusion was reached after protracted contract negotiations and Downing is due to sign the deal soon.

Boro team-mate Boateng was delighted to hear the youngster from Pallister Park is going nowhere.

"I am very happy Stewart has agreed to sign a new contract because I started to get worried after Bolo left and there was some interest in Stewart," said the tough-tackling midfielder.

Boateng believes there are very few in the English game with as much potential as the Boro left-midfielder and has likened him to Chelsea's Robben.

Now Zenden has departed for Anfield there is more onus on Downing to perform consistently on the left next season as he has little cover.

But Boateng insists Downing can cope with the extra demands and things are looking bright for the start of the new campaign, with Zenden and Liverpool due at the Riverside on August 13.

"Stewart is a local guy who is very talented and in Stewart we have our very own Arjen Robben," said Boateng. He can create and score goals and causes problems. The future looks good."

Striker Mark Viduka and Szilard Nemeth trained with the rest of the Boro squad for the first time this summer yesterday.

Both have been given extra time off because of international duty during the close-season and did not travel for the club's Algarve break.

Boro arrived back in the North-East from their trip to Portugal on Wednesday and were given a day off on Thursday.

But all the players, with the exception of the injured and Siena-bound Massimo Maccarone, had a full training session at Rockliffe Park yesterday and that allowed Nemeth and Viduka to meet £7.5m buy Aiyegbeni Yakubu.

New-boys Yakubu and Emanuel Pogatetz, whose hearing with the Russian authorities over a six-month suspension has been put back until Wednesday, are the only summer signings to date.

But Boro boss Steve McClaren is actively working on adding two new midfielders to his ranks, as well as another defender. McClaren is ready to step up his bid to land Juventus's Stephen Appiah after the Italians clinched the signing of Patrick Vieira.

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