McMahon and Williams not for Burnley

Tony McMahon and Rhys Williams were his targets but Boro boss Gareth Southgate said yesterday that any deal for McMahon was dead although he did suggest that he would have been prepared to let him go.

Southgate said of the defender who has had a loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday this season: "Tony feels he wants to be here and rightly so, he wants to be here and fight for his place at a Premier League club, and he is playing very well for us, so that is pretty much dead."

Although making no reference to Williams, Southgate added that he will not be losing any players during the window whilst confirming that he was looking at potential deals to bring players in.

The deals Burnley were hoping for with McMahon and Williams would certainly have been loan deals. Owen Coyle again stressed this week that the finances at Turf Moor would not permit him to bring in any players on a permanent basis.