Boro keen to keep Emnes

Emnes, who is about to enter the final year of his current deal on Teesside, has already emerged as one of Swansea’s early transfer targets following their promotion to the Premier League.

Swans boss Brendan Rogers enjoyed working with the Dutchman during his loan spell at the Liberty Stadium last autumn, and is poised to make a formal approach for his services in the next few weeks.

Mowbray has accepted a need to reduce Middlesbrough’s wage bill this summer, and while Emnes is not believed to be one of the club’s highest-earning players, he is one of the few players capable of commanding a significant transfer fee.

Nevertheless, the Boro boss remains reluctant to part company with the 23-year-old, and would instead prefer to tie him to a new long-term deal.

“I would like to extend Marvin’s contract and keep him here longer term,” said Mowbray.

“It’s something we’re looking at and that I’d like us to try to do.

“I like Marvin as a player. I think he is technically very good and he gives opposing defenders a lot of problems in this league.”

Emnes started seven of the final nine games of last season, scoring in back-to-back matches against Leicester City and Sheffield United.

He is capable of playing as an out-and-out centre-forward, but Mowbray feels his best position is a creative attacking midfielder, playing off the shoulder of either Leroy Lita or Scott McDonald.

“While Scott and Leroy want to score goals and are very focused on doing that, Marvin is absolutely unselfish and takes just as much satisfaction in creating goals as scoring them himself,” he said.

“In that respect he is a good foil for either of the other two as they are more out-and-out centre-forwards, more selfish strikers.

“Sometimes that balance is good for the team, but we will be looking to work on Marvin to encourage him to score more goals because he is definitely capable of doing so.”