Traore told to keep feet on ground

Adama Traore has been warned not to risk losing his place in the Middlesbrough team by getting carried away with Premier League leaders Chelsea’s pursuit of him.

The Blues are understood to have registered an interest in the 20-year-old Spanish winger, who only joined Boro from Aston Villa in August, after a series of high-octane individual displays.

Head coach Aitor Karanka remains relaxed over the situation with no player allowed to represent three different clubs in a single season, although the speculation is that Chelsea would loan him straight back to Boro should they clinch a deal.

Karanka said: “If a team like Chelsea is following Adama, it’s because his progression has been brilliant in six months and he’s doing well. But he’s young and the main thing he has to do is to keep going in the same way because football changes a lot.

“Maybe he is in a big moment, but with Patrick (Bamford) here now, with other players already, maybe in two or three months, he will not be playing and Chelsea disappears and everybody disappears.”

Karanka has also had to contend with talk that reigning champions Leicester are preparing to test his resolve to hang on to Uruguayan star Gaston Ramirez, although he has shown few signs of being prepared to let either man leave.

He said: “With Gaston, I don’t know anything because the club hasn’t received anything official from any club.”