The 37-year-old was quick to tell those players who were no longer part of his plans that they could leave at the end of last season, and Fabio Rochemback, Gaizka Mendieta and Dong-Gook Lee have since left the Riverside Stadium.

They have been joined by out-of-contract goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who will play his football for Barclays Premier League rivals Fulham next season, while speculation persists over midfielders George Boateng and Gary O'Neil, both of whom Southgate would like to keep.

However, as he attempts to close in on his summer transfer targets, the Boro manager will be in no hurry to reduce the size of his squad further.

Southgate freely admits some of his fringe players are desperate for first-team football, but having seen central defender David Wheater emerge from the ranks so successfully amid an injury crisis last summer, he is keen to keep his options open.

He said: "There are a couple of players who were frustrated at a lack of first-team opportunities last year, but I think they will all want to come back in pre-season and see what the situation is.

"Obviously, if we bring players in, that might impact on their opportunities again, but we have to try to evolve the squad, we have to try to continue to progress.

"Some of those younger players will come back stronger and better after the summer period.

"We haven't had offers for any of our players. The only interest we have had is in taking a couple of players who we have had loan enquiries for.

"But I am not prepared to make those decisions yet because any one of our players could be in the first-team at the moment."

Despite the relative lack of activity on the transfer market to date, Southgate is not too concerned as he attempts to close in on his own targets.

The success or otherwise of that mission could go a long way to shaping his decisions over those players who may be allowed to move on.

Southgate said: "Everybody that is here is contracted to us. If players stay or go is ultimately our decision and we have got to make the right decisions for the club.

"That's the same as players coming in and players when they leave.
"Two years into the job, I am very relaxed about the speed at which things happen over the close-season period."

On the incoming front, Paris St Germain midfielder Didier Digard has revealed he expects progress on his proposed £4million switch to Boro over the next 48 hours.

The 21-year-old told Le Parisien: "I am waiting. This should move in the next two days, I think."