Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has told his players his door is always open if they find themselves caught up in transfer speculation next month.

He said: "There's nothing we can do about it, people are going to speculate.

"Some of the stories will be way adrift of the mark, some will have an element of truth, one or two might be bang on.

"Every club is going to have this through December and January. The first year it took me, not by surprise, but I was amazed at how unsettling a period it is for a football club.

"Last year I was better prepared and this year I know what's coming.

"You have to remind players that if there are things they want to discuss or find out about, knock on the door and talk, because we can put a lot of the speculation aside.

"But it can be unsettling for the group, and then that all finishes on January 31 and everyone realises they are where they are for another six months and they get on with their job again."