Negredo could be Boro’s Defoe
AITOR KARANKA is backing Alvaro Negredo to be Middlesbrough’s answer to Jermain Defoe.
Defoe’s 15 Premier League goals were the key to Sunderland staying in the Premier League last season and the Boro boss doesn’t shrink from putting the same weight of expectation on his loan signing from Valencia.
He said: “I hope Alvaro can do for us what Jermain did for Sunderland last season.
“It would be an amazing thing for the club because when you have a player who scores 20-25 goals that can be a massive achievement.
“He played well at Manchester City and when you do that you show you have the qualities to cope with pressure.
“Alvaro has everything. He just needs to work on his confidence.
“I’m really pleased with his attitude since he arrived here. I know when he is fit he’s going to score goals.
“When we approached him we knew that he needed confidence. For him the Premier League is the best football and he needed a coach and a club who trusted him.
“I could offer him that and I had confidence in him.
“We look for players with character and experience. The club is more organised than it was two or three years ago and we are trained to bring in the right professionals.”
Karanka will come across David Moyes in a professional capacity for the first time in the Wear-Tees derby this afternoon and, having made the opposite move, he is sympathetic over the Scot’s failure to make a success of his time in Spain with Real Sociedad.
“I was sad for him. When you don’t know the language, it’s frustrating and you can’t trust yourself to explain the things that you know,” he said.
“David couldn’t show his real level in Spain. I admire him a lot but I can understand why it was hard for him.
“The players couldn’t understand my English, but I took a lot of lessons and we moved on together.
“But even though David and Gary Neville didn’t have a good time in Spain I would recommend more English coaches try to work there.
“It’s good for them to learn from Spanish coaches. You have to learn by travelling abroad. Now I’m here I’m learning so much from managers in England.”
Boro got a pre-match boost when defender Ben Gibson signed a five-year contract.
The 23-year-old has made over 100 appearances for the club, made his top-flight debut last weekend against Stoke.