Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder insists defender Paddy McNair will be staying at the Riverside Stadium during the January transfer window.
The former Manchester United academy player has been linked with Celtic and West Ham in the local media, and when asked about McNair’s future, Wilder replied:
“Paddy is a really good player and is somebody we want to keep and we want to build around because he’s got all the attributes. He is already an international player, he’s got the attributes to play in that big league and I’m not going to shy away from that, that’s where we want to be.”
Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou is thought to be looking at strengthening his options in other areas of the pitch so McNair doesn’t appear to be a top priority at the moment.
The Scottish side are believed to be closing in on deals for Kawasaki Frontale’s Reo Hatate and Yokohama F. Marinos’s Yosuke Ideguchi, as well as forward Daizen Maeda. With the club reportedly only looking to sign these three players, in addition to Jota, it doesn’t suggest a bid for McNair is likely.
In any case, Wilder’s comments do indicate that the Northern Ireland international isn’t available for transfer, and the centre-back would probably cost a sizeable sum too.
