TONY Mowbray is confident Middlesbrough's new-found financial stability will prevent him having to sell anyone during the January transfer window.

Boro will claim joint leadership of the Championship tonight if they triumph against Birmingham City, a club still reeling from the financial effects of relegation from the Premier League.

The Teessiders have experienced plenty of upheaval of their own since they were demoted in 2009, but the departure of a host of highly-paid names has helped significantly reduce the discrepancy between income and expenditure.

That has removed the need for any unwanted departures when the transfer window reopens at the turn of the year, with Mowbray instead hoping to add to his squad for the second half of the season.

With Swansea still interested in both Marvin Emnes and Nicky Bailey, the Boro boss has not ruled out a January exit. But it will be on his terms and any money received will be immediately reinvested.

"We're at the stage now where, unless it's a deal you can't turn down, there's no pressure coming from above for me to sell footballers," said Mowbray. "Instead, if we're in with a genuine chance come January, I'd like to think the chairman will help us push on rather than think about trying to fill any holes financially.

"My job is to always improve things, and sometimes that can mean identifying a player, even if they're doing really well, and accepting that the price you've been offered is right. That might enable you to bring two or three players in to fill another area in your squad.

"The job is always to look at those scenarios, but it's nice to be in a position where you're in control of your fate. If a player was to get sold in January, it wouldn't be a forced sale.

"It wouldn't be something the chairman said he needed us to do - the chairman is every bit as ambitious as anyone - it would be me going to him saying, 'With that amount of money, I'd like to buy him and him'. That's my call and if it backfires, I'll be responsible. But it would be about building a team rather than selling someone to raise money."

Lee Clark must wish he was in a similar position as he attempts to rebuild at Birmingham, a club whose financial difficulties are exacerbated by the Hong Kong money laundering case that has led to the assets of their owner, Carson Yeung, being frozen.

The Blues may well have to raise funds in January, perhaps through the sale of highly-rated young goalkeeper Jack Butland, as their wage bill remains at an unsustainably high level.

Middlesbrough encountered the same problems when they were relegated, and their troubles increased when Gordon Strachan was allowed to spend extensively in the club's first season in the Championship in an attempt to secure an instant return to the top-flight.

When the gamble failed and Strachan was dismissed, Mowbray was saddled with the task of slashing expenditure, a process he has successfully allied to maintaining the club's competitiveness in the promotion race.

"I don't know the exact details of what Lee has walked into at Birmingham, but we can all have an opinion on it," said the Boro boss. "I think there's more stability at our football club with a very consistent owner over the last couple of decades.

"That helps, but any team that has been relegated from the Premier League relatively recently has problems. You have to deal with those financial problems and I'm sure Birmingham have one or two players on salaries they wish they didn't have to deal with. We had that at this football club, but time seems to resolve most things.

"I think we've come through the worst of things. I think the group is pretty harmonious at the moment and that gives you a better chance, but as a relegated club, you have to go through a process.

"There are lots of different problems - big salaries, players thinking they should be playing in the Premier League and being even more unhappy if they're not even getting a game in the Championship. Ultimately, you have to face those problems head on and move forward if you can."

Boro have made significant forward steps this season, with Tuesday's win over Huddersfield closing the gap to leaders Cardiff to just three points.

Grant Leadbitter missed the win over the Terriers through suspension, but is also nursing a knock he picked up in last weekend's defeat to Bristol City. He is touch and go for this evening, along with Andy Halliday, who felt a tightness in his hamstring in the latter stages of Tuesday's game.

"Neither player trained (on Wednesday), so they'll have to train before the match and come through okay in order to play," said Mowbray. "Knowing Grant, if he has any chance whatsoever, he'll definitely be wanting to play."