Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will only sell Robert Huth for big money.

The German international, who celebrates his 25 birthday tomorrow, has been linked with a move to Stoke in recent days with the transfer window due to close at the end of the month.

Southgate freely admits he could struggle to hang on to his £6million signing if he decides he wants to go, but is desperate to do just that.

He said: "I would expect there will be interest in him [Huth], but unless that interest meets an exceptional valuation, then he is a player we would like to hang on to.

"A lot of the time, it depends on the players as well and whether he has a desire to stay here.

"Now Robert obviously would like to play at the highest possible level - he has got a World Cup with Germany this summer, so I don't take it for granted that we can hang on to him.

"But by the same token, it's got to be a move that attracts him and that's right for all parties and at the moment, we are not in that situation."