Middlesbrough desperate to hold onto Williams

Fresh from offering a relatively large sum of money and being rebuffed by Crystal Palace for Wilfried Zaha, Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle seems to have got wallet-happy again in his pursuit of Middlesbrough’s versatile defender Rhys Williams.

As the search for defenders goes on at the Reebok following the departure of Gary Cahill, American Tim Ream has been added but the torches and milk-carton pictures are still out there as they root desperately for another defender as they fight relegation and Coyle’s eyes have seemed to have fallen on Williams and has put together a £6 million offer for the Australian.

Where Bolton have got the money from to forge these kind of offers, £7 million for Zaha and £6 million for Williams, is not known and there are currently no reports of any banks being looted in the Bolton area, but Middlesbrough are proving to be repellent to any kind of temptation to take the gigantic some of money and run.

Coyle has managed the 23 year-old Williams before and handed him his professional debut whilst on loan at Burnley, and is keen to return back into the market for the big Australian who is a centre-half by trade, but can also step up into midfield and even fill in at right-back. In fact, he can also play right next to the word “versatile” in the dictionary.

Due to his potential, a 6ft 2 frame and his wide-range of defensive abilities, It would be a good signing for Bolton but Middlesbrough have made it perfectly clear they are in no position to sell and even though Williams has admitted it is a dream of his to play in the Premier League, he wants to achieve it this year with Middlesbrough. Such an unequivocal stance has been backed up today by Boro’s rejection of such a huge bid.

In fact, Riverside boss Tony Mowbray has even took to the extent of completely denying that any bid has actually been made and that everybody has been sucked into the transfer deadline day vortex and are now dreaming up potential transfers. Whatever, Rhys Williams will remain a Middlesbrough player and not even £6 million can change that.

@AdamGray1250