MIDDLESBROUGH winger Adam Johnson has asked to be allowed speak to Manchester City despite manager Gordon Strachan's insistence that he is going nowhere.

It is understood the 22-year-old midfielder wants to hear what the Premier League outfit have to say after they tabled a bid of around £5m.

Johnson, who has scored 12 goals for the Coca-Cola Championship club this season, is out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

Strachan confirmed earlier today that a series of potential buyers had contacted the Teessiders, some of them with verbal offers and at least one with a formal bid.

Sunderland, Johnson's hometown club, are long-time admirers, while Everton too have been linked with him.

However, Strachan has repeatedly insisted the England Under-21 international is not for sale, and he remained defiant at his pre-match press conference this morning.

He said: "We have had verbal offers in the last week for Adam, but nothing has changed.

"Adam is still here and I would expect him still to be here for the last 19 games of the season.

"We have had verbal offers, we have had one official offer and I would imagine after looking at those that Adam will be here for the rest of the season, which we are quite delighted about because he is coming back into form.

"That's great for us because when he is on form, we are a better team, that's for sure.

"Adam is a terrific, terrific professional and a terrific young man. He is a credit to his mum and dad."

But Johnson, who spent much of his formative years in the first-team squad playing under-study to England international Stewart Downing, is ambitious and wants the chance to at least talk to City.

Boro know they will be entitled to compensation for their aqcademy graduate if he leaves the club in the summer, and with Chelsea having been ordered to pay City a sum which could eventually amount to around £7m for Daniel Sturridge, they would hope for a sizable figure for a more experienced player.

In the circumstances, they are unlikely to be persuaded to part with their prized asset for below what they believe to be his market value, particularly to a club which is now regarded as the most wealthy in world football.

With the winter transfer window due to close on Monday, it remains to be seen whether or not Boro's stance will soften.

But asked if he expected any more departures this month amid speculation that Portsmouth want to take Gary O'Neil back to Fratton Park, Strachan's reply was unequivocal.

He said: "No, definitely not, absolutely not."