Mowbray to look at loans (From The Northern Echo)

Mowbray to look at loans

8:00am Wednesday 1st February 2012 in Sport By Steph Clark

AFTER rebuffing an approach from Bolton Wanderers for Rhys Williams, Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray will turn his attention to the loan market in a bid to strengthen his squad in the coming weeks.

It was a relatively quiet deadline day on Teesside as Boro resisted a £6million approach from the Lancashire side for Williams, while Stephen McManus also stayed at the club despite strong interest from Bristol City and Ipswich Town.

Williams, who has been an integral part of Mowbray's side this season, has attracted interest from several Premier League clubs including Newcastle United and Aston Villa.

Bolton boss Owen Coyle is no stranger to the Australian international having worked with him during his loan spell at Burnley and it is understood he was keen to take the 23-year-old to the Reebok Stadium.

However, with Boro eager to keep their prize assets until the end of the season, it is understood chairman Steve Gibson told Wanderers they would have to pay in excess of £10m to land the versatile star.

And despite strong interest from Bristol City and Ipswich, Scotland international McManus remains on Teesside - at least for the time being.

The 29-year-old could still leave in a similar deal to that which bought Jutkiewicz to the Riverside, leaving in an initial loan deal that could turn permanent at the end of the season.

Mowbray will now look to the loan market to bring in reinforcements in the next few weeks, but he admits it was important he didn't lose any of his key players yesterday.

"We have to be fair to the chairman we have signed a player that cost more than a million when money is very tight," Mowbray said ahead the trip to Leicester City tonight.

"We'd all want to be going out and spending lots of money, but we just have to be patient at the moment and keep trying to work through it.

"The loan window will be open in a week's time and I'm sure he will listen if there's a player or two I want to bring in.

"We'd love to add another couple of million pound players, but the group we've got must stick together and push on.

"We're probably more likely to be waiting until next week and see what we can do in the loan market.

"The players that we've got have taken us to where we are now. We must be thankful that we haven't had a mass exodus of players and we haven't lost Williams or Bates or anyone else.

"I think it's more important to keep those players. We do have players running down contracts, but I don't think we should be overly concerned about it, I think we should be trying to achieve with the group we've got and if we do they may be offered new contracts."

Mowbray will make a late decision over the fitness of Jason Steele ahead of tonight's game at the King Power Stadium where Boro will look to record their first points of 2012.

Steele has been struggling with thigh and wrist problems, but he did train on his own yesterday in the hope of making a return.

Should tonight's game come too soon for the England Under-21 international, teenager Connor Ripley will start with Danny Coyne also out with a calf problem.

"I think Jason's got half a chance. He was out yesterday with his gloves on doing some handling," Mowbray said.

"We'll see if there's any reaction tomorrow and if not there's a fair chance we might involve him.

"If Jason doesn't make it we'll go with Connor, but fingers crossed there's no reaction and Jason can play."

* There has been a change to the kick-off time in Boro's game at Birmingham on March 17.

The game was schedule to kick-off at 1pm as Aston Villa were playing in the city the same day, but their game with Bolton has been moved to the Sunday of that weekend, which means Boro's game will now kick-off at 3pm.

Meanwhile, the FA have announced that Arsenal's visit to the winners of the Boro v Sunderland FA Cup fourth round replay will be televised live.

The game will be played on Saturday, February 18 at 5.15pm and broadcast on ITV1.

The replay, which is also being screened live on ITV1, takes place at the Riverside on Wednesday February 8 at 7.45pm.