MIDDLESBROUGH will do all they can to keep Matthew Bates on Teesside this summer – but boss Gareth Southgate accepts they will face stiff competition for the highlyrated youngster.

Bates’ current contract is due to expire at the end of the season, and the converted midfielder has turned down the club’s offer of a new deal.

That offer was complicated by the 22-yearold’s injury record as, understandably, Boro were wary of over-committing to a player who had suffered two potentially careerthreatening cruciate injuries and made just two senior appearances for the club in the space of two seasons.

Bates has subsequently proved his fitness, however, and his 14 league appearances since Christmas have alerted a number of Premier League sides to his possible availability this summer.

Both Everton and West Ham are expected to make formal approaches to the Teessider at the end of the season, but Southgate remains hopeful that Boro will be able to strike a new deal.

“Matthew’s situation will be addressed in the summer,” said the Middlesbrough manager.

“We want to keep him at the club, but his situation is complicated because we weren’t sure how this season would go for him.

“He’s had a number of very serious injuries – he basically missed two years of football – and, at the start of the season, it was difficult to know how many games he would play or how things would pan out.

“He’s obviously come into the side and had a fair run of games and he’s done everything we’ve asked of him.

“We made him a contract offer and he turned it down, but things have changed slightly and we’re obviously aware that Matthew will be thinking about his own future like we’re thinking about him. But we want to keep him at the club.”

Ross Turnbull is the other Boro player due to become a free agent this summer, and with the Bishop Auckland-born goalkeeper having turned down a number of offers, there will be no further progress on his position before the end of the current campaign.

“We’ve made Ross what we consider to be a number of very good offers but he’s turned them down,” said Southgate. “That’s where we’re at with that and the situation hasn’t changed.”

Tony McMahon’s situation changed last week, with the right-back signing a new contract that will keep him at the Riverside Stadium until 2012.

McMahon, who has started six of Boro’s last seven matches, spent the early part of the season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday.

But since returning from Hillsborough, the Evenwood-born defender has forced his way into the starting line-up and justified the offer of a new deal.

“We’re delighted that Tony signed his new deal,”

said Southgate. “He’s still in the early stages of his career, but he’s already overcome a number of challenges that most players never encounter.

“At the start of the season, we didn’t think he was fit enough to go straight into the first-team squad, so that’s why we sent him out on loan to Sheffield Wednesday.

“But since he’s come back, he’s forced his way into the team and done really well.

“He’s still got a lot to learn – even though he already thinks he should be Middlesbrough captain – but we’re delighted he’ll be learning it here at Middlesbrough.”

■ Emanuel Pogatetz could make a surprise return from injury in next Monday’s crucial Tyne-Tees derby with Newcastle.

The Boro skipper has been sidelined since injuring his knee at the start of April, but is due to make an earlier-thanexpected return to the training ground this week.

He is unlikely to start at St James’ Park in six days time, but could be involved on the substitutes’ bench if he is able to join in a full training session in the second half of the week.