MIDDLESBROUGH manager Chris Wilder feels Marcus Tavernier should have stayed at Boro for one more year and the club could not have done more to try and keep him as the midfielder nears a move to Bournemouth.

The club accepted an offer from the newly promoted Premier League side with the 23-year-old travelling down to the south coast for a medical.

In this morning’s press conference ahead of Boro’s season opening game against West Brom, Wilder confirmed that Tavernier wanted to leave the club when the chance to play for a club in the top flight came calling.

“I've been told an offer has been accepted” said Wilder. “That's life, we have to get on with it. It's not ideal two days before (the season starts) but the club did everything to try and keep Marcus but it's his decision.”

“When you get down to the nitty gritty of his and his representative's decision to explore that move, you're in that situation where you're just negotiating for the best price.

“That's above me. I'd love to have kept Tav, he's been outstanding since I've walked through the door and fitted into a position that really suits him and I was looking forward to working with him for another year. The club can't do anymore and we have to accept that and move on.”

Tavernier is expected to complete the move to the Vitality Stadium early next week ahead of Bournemouth’s season opening game against Aston Villa.

The’exit comes as a considered blow to Boro’s squad who are now trying to add more players to their squad during a difficult market. After Wilder felt the club did all they can to keep him for their promotion push, money has inevitably talked after Boro received an offer that is understood to be one they couldn’t refuse.

Wilder continued: “We can all have our own opinions. The lure of the Premier League is always huge.

“Financially this is a deal that I'd imagine is an incredible one. I will let other people have their say on the bigger club thing. They're in the Premier League. Do we have more supporters? Of course. Is ours bigger? Yeah, even Bournemouth fans would recognise that. But the top and bottom of it is they're in the Premier League and we're not. They're a Premier League club and they have that ability to attract players out of the Championship.

“I've done as much as I could. If you spoke to Marcus he'd recognise that. I've put our case over long and hard and couldn't have done any more and the club couldn't have done any more really. He's into the final two years of his contract, the boy wants to go, his representatives want him to go and there's a club there that wants to take him.”

There is an understanding from the manager that the lure of the Premier League has taken Tavernier to the top flight but Wilder also felt that the player has made the move too early in his career. “I personally believe he should have stayed for another year and see how that rolls out, and take a chance” added the Boro boss.

“Myself personally. He's playing in a position he prefers, seeing how he developed. Before he was playing all over the place. Straight away we decided he was an 8, his energy, physically he's a great athlete. There are always elements to improve which he understood and was working hard on, the end bit. You saw in the Marseille game his quality. He'd played a great amount of games for his age.

“I believe he should have stayed but the boy has to make his own decision and he's a man and he's made that decision to go.”