Champs League’s in Reach for Aitor
CLIVE HETHERINGTON AMBITIOUS Aitor Karanka says he would love to have Sheffield Wednesday winger Adam Reach back at Middlesbrough “when we are playing in the Europa League or Champions League’’.
Spaniard Karanka is setting the bar high for Boro who today host Championship promotion chasers Wednesday in the Third Round of the FA Cup.
The tie marks the return of Reach, 23, to his former club and Karanka admits it was both “difficult and easy’’ to sell him last August for £5million.
The Boro boss (below) said: “Adam’s heart is in Middlesbrough but he knew the best thing for him was to move.
“I hope one day he can come back here when we are playing in the Europa League or Champions League and play with us – because he’s a Middlesbrough man.
“He’s young and he’s playing games, which is the main thing. He was at Preston last season and he made a difference on loan there.
“Now Sheffield is another step forward for him so if he keeps making those steps he can play at a higher level, for sure.
“I think he shows every week how good he is but I hope he doesn’t play his best against us.
“It was difficult and easy to let him go. Difficult because I like Reachy a lot.
“He had progressed a lot and he’s an amazing kid. It was difficult but in another way it was easy because he deserves to play.”
With Gaston Ramirez doubtful and Viktor Fischer ruled out, Boro winger Stewart Downing is in line to make only his second start in two months.
Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal insisted the Owls will give everything at The Riverside.
He said: “We go to all the stadiums to try to win the games but we understand this game is more difficult than many others.
“We will be fighting to go to the next round.”
He had given up a Premier League manager’s position at Hull despite leading them to promotion having become fed up with arguing with Tigers vice-chairman Ehab Allam.
It was the first day of this season as Bruce pedalled near Vilamoura – the first time for 40 years that he had been unemployed as a new football campaign got under way.
It was at that moment the former Wigan boss knew something had to change. And it has. Bruce, 56, is now back in business at Aston Villa and he said: “This is the biggest challenge I have faced during my career.”
The former Manchester United captain takes his side to Tottenham today in the FA Cup Third Round with memories of the summer still fresh in his mind.
Bruce said: “The strangest moment was last summer, riding my bike on the promenade in Portugal.
“It was the first time in 40 years – since 1976 – that I had not been involved with a team on the first day of the season. “I was thinking everyone is back at work – lovely! “But then I thought whether I was going to wait for a Premier League job.
“I’m not saying I would have got Swansea or Crystal Palace but I might have been in the frame.
“Anyway, results were coming through, the phone wasn’t ringing and I was thinking, ‘I’m not involved’.
“Unfortunately, you are sitting there like a great big bloody vulture, waiting for someone to mess up.
“Then this job came along and I thought, ‘How can I turn this down?’
“My first thought was that this was the biggest club I’d had as a manager and make no mistake, it will be JORDAN RHODES’ £50k-a-week wages are holding up his move to Aston Villa.
Middlesbrough are looking to get £12million for the Scotland striker – £3m more than they paid Blackburn for him – but that fee is too expensive for the Midlands club.
Villa boss Steve Bruce had hoped Rhodes, 26, would be part of the deal which took Rudy Gestede to Boro for £6m last week. Talks are still going on between the two clubs with Hull and Sheffield Wednesday also being linked with the former Huddersfield hitman.
If a permanent transfer cannot be agreed in this month’s transfer window then Villa hope they will be able to sign him on loan.
PAUL HETHERINGTON MANCHESTER CITY could allow Fabian Delph to go out on loan this month.
The England midfielder, 27 (right) made his comeback in Friday night’s 5-0 win at West Ham after recovering from a groin operation.
Championship rivals Newcastle and Aston Villa, both eyeing midfielders, are two of the clubs interested.
Delph cost £8million from Villa two years ago and is on £90k-aweek at City, who would probably have to subsidise part of his wages if he made a temporary move.
PAUL HETHERINGTON CRYSTAL PALACE’S interest in Rennes winger Paul-Georges Ntep has doubled his price. Wolfsburg believed they had lined up a £5million deal for the France international. Rennes had expected the deal to go though but Palace’s interest has now made them think again about his fee. Eagles boss Sam Allardyce has identified Ntep, 25, as a player who could halt their slide towards relegation and needs cover for Bakary Sako, 28, who is with Mali at the African Cup of Nations. Ntep’s contract expires at the end of the season and Rennes would like to cash in on him now. TONY STENSON