Downing deserves to know what future holds

IT’S a shame Stewart Downing’s projected move to Birmingham City has reached a potential impasse, because the ex-England international deserves to know what the future holds. City boss Harry Redknapp is still keen to sign Downing, but there are financial problems which have not yet been solved.

Downing could do a good job for Brum, as Redknapp well knows. In fact could do a good job for a lot of clubs.

Hopefully he will find a new club before the end of this month because it is clear that he will not be involved in Garry Monk’s plans, and it’s a long season.

The Boro boss made it clear to Stewart from the outset that he would not be involved, and was free to find a new club.

While the Downing situation carries on, Boro have pulled off a sharp piece of business involving another of their international players. Gaston Ramirez is set to join Sampdoria and the Uruguayan’s undisclosed but healthy transfer fee represents a nice profit for Boro, who signed him initially on a free transfer.

The departure of Ramirez from the Riverside appears to be the only solution to the “will-he-stayor-go” saga , especially as he had been loudly booed by the Boro fans when he came on in the second half of last week’s friendly against Augsburg.

The fans believe Ramirez was not committed to the cause in the second half of last season and it was hard to believe that the bridges could ever be rebuilt.

It’s a shame because Ramirez has uncanny talents, as Sampdoria will discover.

But football doesn’t stand on sentiment, as Downing , too, has discovered.