Signing Stewart Downing from West Ham will be 'difficult', warns Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka

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Downing could leave Upton Park this summer

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Sam Long

9 July 2015

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka has admitted that it will be "difficult" to sign West Ham United's Stewart Downing as the midfielder has received offers from elsewhere.

The 30-year-old featured in all but one of the east Londoners' Premier League fixtures last season, scoring six goals, but his future at the club has been called into question this summer.

The managerial change at Upton Park, which saw Sam Allardyce replaced by Slaven Bilic, has seen a flurry of new arrivals as the Croatian attempts to put his stamp on the Hammers' first-team squad.

Meanwhile, Downing is believed to be the subject of a bid from the Championship club, who narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League after defeat in the play-off final to Norwich City.

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However, Karanka believes that Boro's second tier stature could scupper their hopes of landing Downing.

“I can’t say anything about Stewart as a player because everybody knows him," Karanka said.

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“For me it is difficult to think about him because I know it is very difficult for me to get this type of player because he is a Premier League player, he has offers from other places but I am here to assemble a squad as good as we can."

Middlesbrough-born Downing started his career on Teeside and represented his hometown club for eight years prior to a move to Aston Villa in 2009 and his return would be a popular signing.

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Signing Stewart Downing from West Ham will be 'difficult', warns Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka

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Premier League kits 2015/16: In pictures