AITOR KARANKA has insisted he does not want to lose Steve Agnew, despite the Middlesbrough assistant being linked with a possible move to Aston Villa.

Agnew is currently being considered for the vacant number two role at Villa Park, with Steve Bruce having taken charge of the Championship club on Wednesday.

Bruce and Agnew worked together for two years at Hull City, and the new Villa boss was extremely disappointed to lose the 50-year-old when he left Humberside to sign a five-year deal with Boro.

Agnew replaced Craig Hignett on Boro’s coaching staff, and while Karanka has a close relationship with his goalkeeping coach, Leo Percovich, he has always valued the presence of a domestic coach boasting extensive experience of life in English football.

“Steve came here a year-and-a-half ago, and he came here because he wanted to be at his club and be in the Premier League,” said Karanka. “The main thing for me is that he is doing a really good job here, and for that reason, I don’t really want to say anything about the rumours.

“I feel he is really happy here, and he has supported me a lot. When I called him and met with him, I knew how important he could be for me.

“He knew the league at the time, and he knows this league too. He knows the referees and can tell me things that are different here from how they are in Spain. He is really helpful.”

Bruce appointed Mike Phelan as his Hull assistant after Agnew departed, but the former Manchester United defender has subsequently been installed as the permanent manager at the KC Stadium.

Steve Clarke, who was Villa’s assistant manager before Roberto di Matteo was sacked, could be retained in his current role, but sources in the Midlands expect Bruce to inquire about Agnew’s potential availability.

Agnew has shown no desire to leave Boro, and Karanka will certainly not be encouraging him to move elsewhere.

“His best quality is that he is a good man,” he added. “It is like when I sign a player, I want to bring good people into the club.

“Steve is a good man, and we work well as a team. He is the assistant manager, but he is one of us and whenever we have meetings, everyone is encouraged to join in.”