GARETH Southgate has offered his clearest hint yet that Gaizka Mendieta has no future at Middlesbrough.

Under Southgate's regime, Mendieta has made only three Premier League starts and he has been substituted on each occasion.

The 32-year-old was an unused substitute for the visit of Liverpool a fortnight ago, and he did not even make the 16 for the trip to Aston Villa last weekend.

The Spaniard, contracted at Boro until 2009, has been linked with a move to his home town club Athletic Bilbao, but the Middlesbrough boss revealed no-one has made an enquiry about the former Lazio and Barcelona star.

It would be no surprise should the Basque side show an interest in the former Spain international during the January transfer window. Bilbao are looking for a replacement for their star midfielder Tiko, who is out of action for the rest of the season with ruptured cruciate knee ligaments.

"I understand his frustrations at not being involved," said Southgate, who has guided his side to a three-match unbeaten run. "As a senior player if he is not going to be part of the first team we have to look to see if we can help him in some way. But I don't think I can give him the games he wants."

Several others are out of contract at the end of the season, most notably strikers Massimo Maccarone, Mark Viduka and Malcolm Christie.

Should Christie, who netted in Boro's 1-1 draw with Aston Villa at the weekend, prove his injuries are behind him it is likely he will be rewarded with a new contract.

The same can't be said of Maccarone and Viduka, who will be free to talk to other clubs in January about summer transfers.

Southgate is keen to keep the big Aussie, but admitted his Boro future is very much in his own hands.

He said: "I'm hoping he's with us longer term than the summer. Unfortunately he has been injured for the last few weeks, but we are looking forward to having him back.

"There are other individual situations and some of those guys might want to move on and some we would want to keep. They are all decisions I've got to make, but we are weeks away from that.

"Players who might have left in the summer are in the first team now. I am very conscious that we don't rush into these things.''

Boro are offering an early Christmas present to all young fans through their 'kid for a quid' ticket offer for the home game with Charlton Athletic on Saturday, December 23.

Up to four children's tickets (aged 16 or under) can be bought for £1 with every full-priced adult ticket.

Tickets can be purchased either by calling the club on 0844 499 1234 or in person at the main Riverside ticket office Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 5pm or Saturday between 9.30am and 12 noon.

They are also available from MFC Retail in Captain Cook Square on Thursdays and Fridays between 9.30am and 5pm and on Saturdays between 9.30am and 12 noon