MIDDLESBROUGH are ready to do everything they can to keep George Friend at the Riverside this summer as Premier League clubs prepare multi-million pound offers for the defender.

West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace have already let their interest known in the reliable defender and there has been talk of a £4m offer.

That would not tempt Boro into selling, with chairman Steve Gibson determined to build on the progress under Aitor Karanka by strengthening his squad rather than weakening it.

Friend outlined his wish to test himself at the top level before the play-off final defeat to Norwich City at Wembley, but he is settled in the North-East and focused on trying to help Boro back to the Premier League after a seven-year absence.

The 27-year-old has become a mainstay of Karanka’s squad and his solid performances have not gone unnoticed in the top-flight, with both Alan Pardew and Tony Pulis two of his biggest admirers.

Pardew and Pulis’ interest dates back to January, but there are also other clubs weighing up an offer for one of the Championship’s best full-backs.

But Gibson is determined to keep Friend on Teesside because he has been fantastic for the club on and off the pitch since Tony Mowbray signed him from Doncaster for an initial fee of around £100,000 two years ago.

He pledged his future to the club last summer when he signed a four-year contract so Middlesbrough are in a strong position to keep hold of him even though they do have the younger James Husband as back up.

Friend has made 130 appearances since joining from Rovers and is a fans’ favourite on Teesside.

The Devon-born defender started his career at Exeter before moving on to Wolves, where he was handed his one and only Premier League appearance to date by Mick McCarthy at Old Trafford in December 2009.

Karanka hopes to lead an automatic promotion charge and is desperate to retain Friend too as he looks to fill in the gaps of his squad have been left by the departures of free agents and loan signings.

Chelsea defender Tomas Kalas is likely to return to the North-East following his short spell from Stamford Bridge but otherwise Karanka has a number of holes to fill before the start of the season. He is still hoping to acquire striker Jordan Rhodes from Blackburn.

Middlesbrough are likely to bring in a number of other loan signings to top up the squad but there is a drive to bring in more long term additions, particularly following the departures of Dean Whitehead, Seb Hines and Emmanuel Ledesma. Jonathan Woodgate is still to decide on his future. Ledesma is interesting former club Walsall.