TONY MOWBRAY has revealed how the departure of high-earning Kevin Thomson from the Middlesbrough wage bill does not mean an immediate dip in to the transfer market.

Thomson’s unproductive two-and-a-half spell on Teesside came to an end eight days ago when he reached a mutual agreement with the club to have the remaining 18 months of his contract terminated.

And while there will have been a significant pay-off, the exit means the wage bill has been reduced by more than £1.5m a year.

But Mowbray insists Middlesbrough, who at this stage still look like playing Championship football next season, are not in a position to overspend just for the sake of it.

“There’s no real help at the moment with the money we save from Thomson,” said Mowbray, ahead of today’s visit of Barnsley. “That’s the way football is. Clubs are run, budgets roll, so you know where you are and how much there is to spend year by year.

“As of today we are still trying to get to a point where we come in line with the Financial Fair Play because we are still coming in slightly over budget. As a club we would have liked to have got the best out of Kevin Thomson. Both parties have probably made the right decision.”

The loan market might be open again until the end of next month but the Middlesbrough boss is not in a rush to make additions for the sake of it.

That means Thomson will not necessarily have an immediate replacement, particularly given Kieron Dyer signed until the end of the season soon after.

Thomson, a £2m buy from Rangers in July 2010 by Gordon Strachan, only made 38 starts and 18 as a substitute during that time because of a series of injuries.

And Mowbray, who rated the player highly following the pair’s time together at Hibernian earlier in his career, said: “I would have to say Kevin understands, I gave him every opportunity. I know what a quality player he can be.

“For whatever reason he never seemed to stay fit long enough to get a number of games. He never seemed to get up to speed which is why I was keen to give him the chances to do it. He got a negative mindset in the end and felt he was going to get injured.

“With the outlay financially for us it made sense. Kevin got to the point where he couldn’t contribute to the level we wanted him to reach so it was an opportunity for us to make a saving for the remaining 18 months of his deal. That was worthwhile. Kevin can try to get his career going again. He is very talented.”