MIDDLESBROUGH are determined to hold on to Ben Gibson and Adama Traore – no matter what happens ahead of this evening’s transfer deadline.

Boro completed the £2.5m capture of defender Ryan Shotton yesterday, and have also agreed a deal for Oxford United winger Marvin Johnson.

Johnson’s arrival will be formally confirmed later today, and there could be a third addition in the offing, with Liverpool youngster Ryan Kent one of a number of players still under consideration.

However, the big transfer issues relate to Gibson and Traore, with senior Boro sources continuing to insist the pair will not be leaving Teesside.

Boro have been steadfast in their refusal to sell Gibson, turning down two offers from West Brom earlier this summer, the second of which amounted to around £20m.

Garry Monk has always insisted he does not want to lose any of his key players, and Boro chairman Steve Gibson has consistently maintained that he does not want to sell his nephew, who earned his maiden call-up to England’s senior squad at the end of last season.

Having brought in around £40m this summer thanks to the sale of Marten de Roon, Jordan Rhodes, Gaston Ramirez, Viktor Fischer, Cristhian Stuani and Bernardo Espinosa, Boro are not under any financial pressure to make further sales despite spending more than £45m on additions of their own.

There could well be further interest in Gibson today, with a number of Premier League clubs keen to recruit a centre-half. Liverpool, Chelsea and Leicester are targeting defensive reinforcements, while West Brom will almost certainly table an improved offer if they sell Jonny Evans. Similarly, Southampton will look to move quickly if they sanction the sale of Virgil van Dijk.

Either scenario will not affect Boro’s thinking though, with Gibson aware of the club’s stance. The defender has not pushed to leave despite last season’s relegation, and has been a key performer in the opening month of the season.

Traore has played a more peripheral role this term, but while Boro officials have discussed his position with representatives from Lyon and Lille in the last few days, they have concluded it is not in their best interests to sell.

Neither French club has come anywhere close to matching Boro’s valuation, and Traore is regarded as a valuable asset as the Teessiders look to secure promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Shotton will be part of that promotion push, having finally signed a three-year deal to complete a £2.5m switch from Birmingham yesterday afternoon.

Boro’s recruitment team agreed a deal for the centre-half more than two weeks ago, but Birmingham boss Harry Redknapp was refusing to release him until he had a replacement in place.

Redknapp agreed a £2m deal for Brentford’s Harlee Dean on Tuesday, and the completion of that move enabled Shotton to move to the North-East.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said the 28-year-old. “You probably wouldn’t believe how long, but we’ve got it over the line now and we can look forward to the next few weeks.

“It’s the worst thing I’ve ever been involved in. I’ve been speaking to different people, and everyone has been saying, ‘Oh you’re still here, you’re not up the road yet’. Let me just concentrate on football, and I’ll be fine, but I couldn’t. You can’t train.

“I had a little boy last week, so I’ve been trying to juggle the two, and I wanted to come up here, but I couldn’t. It’s been an absolute mess, but I’m glad to be up here now and I’m ready to go.

“I’ve spoken to a lot of lads who have been up here before – Jonathan Grounds has been here and loves it, he still comes up here when he can. You couldn’t ask for a better club really. I’m excited to get going.”

Shotton began his career with Stoke City, and also spent a season with Derby County before moving to Birmingham.

“Being 28, nearly 29, I should probably have played more games than I have,” he admitted. “But that was my ‘versatile’ Stoke days when I was playing right wing and up front.

“I’ve got experience throughout the leagues, and in different positions, but now it’s about establishing myself as a centre-half. I had a good season last year, so now it’s about bringing all the things together as a mature adult and trying to help the group.”

Boro have also agreed a deal for Johnson, with the Oxford forward set to put pen to paper well ahead of this evening’s 11pm deadline.

Johnson, who completed a medical at Rockliffe Park yesterday, has been on Monk’s radar for a number of months, and is set to move to Teesside in a deal that will see Boro pay £2.5m, with a further £500,000 dependent on appearances.

Johnson has not figured for Oxford since August 12 because of hamstring trouble, and has also been interesting Leicester, Aston Villa and Birmingham.