Middlesbrough fend off Johnson offers
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Your support makes all the difference.Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan expects winger Adam Johnson to see out his contract on Teesside with the club having rejected a series off offers.
Press Association Sport understands big-spending Manchester City have tabled a bid of around £5million for the 22-year-old midfielder and that other suitors have made their interest known.
However, Strachan said: "We have had verbal offers in the last week for Adam, but nothing has changed.
"Adam is still here and I would expect him still to be here for the last 19 games of the season."
Johnson's future has been a topic for debate for months with the England Under-21 international's contract at the Riverside Stadium due to expire at the end of the season.
Home-town club Sunderland are among his admirers, while Everton have also been linked with the player, who scored his 11th and 12th goals of the season in Tuesday night's 4-1 Coca-Cola Championship victory at Doncaster.
Strachan has insisted since he arrived at the club that he does not want Johnson to leave and Boro, who refused to sell England international Stewart Downing to Tottenham 12 months ago, remain determined to hold on to their prized asset.
Strachan said: "We have had verbal offers, we have had one official offer and I would imagine after looking at those that Adam will be here for the rest of the season, which we are quite delighted about because he is coming back into form.
"That's great for us because when he is on form, we are a better team, that's for sure.
"Adam is a terrific, terrific professional and a terrific young man. He is a credit to his mum and dad."
Meanwhile, Strachan confirmed that his interest in Celtic defender Stephen McManus is ongoing amid reports the move has broken down because the two clubs cannot agree a deal.
He said: "Stephen's name had been mentioned, that's for sure. I am a big fan of Stephen.
"Stephen doesn't seem to be getting a game at Celtic at the moment.
"It's been widely spoken about in the Scottish papers and people at Celtic as well, [manager] Tony [Mowbray] saying he can go, and if he can go, then we would love him here."
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