Boro may lose new signing to Olympics

9:55am Saturday 5th July 2008

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MIDDLESBOUGH'S new signing, Marvin Emnes, will start training with his new team-mates on Monday, but could find himself Beijing bound come the end of the month.

The 20-year-old became Gareth Southgate's first signing of the summer yesterday when he completed a £3.2m move from Sparta Rotterdam.

He will start work with his new club with his fitness in good shape, having spent part of the summer training with Holland's Olympics squad.

Dutch coach Foppe de Haan will trim his provisional and extensive pool of players later this month, when Emnes will learn whether he will be in China when Boro start their new Premier League campaign.

If the speedy forward, a sprinter during his teenage years, is retained, then he could miss all of Boro's preseason programme.

After the trip to York on July 18, Southgate's men head for two matches in Portugal and Emnes could be asked by de Haan to join up for Olympic preparations ahead of the start of the Games on August 8.

If Holland progress to the final, the Holland Under-21 international would miss Middlesbrough's opening two matches, against Tottenham and Liverpool.

Emnes, though, is looking forward to his chance to shine in the Premier League after being impressed by Southgate's powers of persuasion.

"I spoke to Gareth Southgate, who made it clear that he had seen me play and he was very enthusiastic about me,"

said Emnes, who was given a tour of the Riverside Stadium a fortnight ago.

"Meeting Mr Southgate made a big difference for me.

I am looking forward to working with him."

Emnes snubbed the chance to work with Dutch legend Marco van Basten, who is taking over at Ajax, and the offer of staying in Rotterdam with Feyenoord to move to the North-East.

He will provide competition for strikers Tuncay Sanli, Jeremie Aliadiere, Afonso Alves and Mido, while Southgate is also likely to use the player as a winger.

"I am happy to play with either foot and my pace is one of my best assets, but I know I have to prove myself in English football and I am keen to do that," said Emnes.

"I can play on the wing, as a striker or as a second striker, but my favourite position is just being in the team. If I am in the team then I am happy."

Emnes, who will miss the friendly with his former club if he is selected for the Olympics, played 55 games for Sparta in the Eredivisie and he was named the club's player of the year last season.

Southgate said: "We feel we have signed an exciting young player in Marvin. Last season was his breakthrough year at Sparta Rotterdam and he ended the campaign with a flurry, scoring eight goals in his final ten games.

"He fits the profile of the sort of players we want at Middlesbrough, in that he is a young player with hunger, energy and pace. There was a lot of interest in Marvin and I know that both Ajax and Feyenoord were keen."

Boro complete Digard deal

DIDIER DIGARD finally completed his drawn out move from Paris St Germain last night to take Middlesbrough's spending to £7.2m inside 24 hours.

After announcing the arrival of £3.2m Dutch midfielder Marvin Emnes yesterday morning, Gareth Southgate was in a position to put the finishing touches to the Digard deal at 6pm.

The 21-year-old French Under-21 international, suspended by PSG on Thursday while he waited for the deal to be completed, has signed a four-year contract.

"He is a holding midfielder, who is a good athlete and a strong tackler," said Southgate.

"We've had our eye on him for some time and we have been impressed when he has played for PSG and the French side."

Digard has eight Under-21 caps and played for Le Havre before moving to the Parc des Princes. He has represented his country from his school days. His arrival, after a disagreement over a fee between the clubs that has carried on for a number of weeks could lead to the departure of experienced former captain George Boateng.