Samaras keen to stay in England if cut loose by City

Georgios Samaras could leave Manchester City before tomorrow's transfer deadline – but only for another Premier League club.

The former City manager Stuart Pearce spent £5m on the Greece international 18 months ago, but Samaras has failed to impress at Eastlands and appears to have no future under City's new manager, Sven Goran Eriksson.

Middlesbrough are believed to be keen on signing the 22-year-old now the transfer of Ayegbeni Yakubu to Everton has finally gone through. However, while there are other clubs interested in Samaras, his agent, Paul Koutsoliakos, has stressed that the former Heerenveen striker does not want to quit the Premier League.

"There are a lot of clubs from all over Europe keen on Giorgios, but he wants to stay in England," Koutsoliakos said.

"He feels as though he has more to show the people over there and also to himself. He strongly believes he is good enough to compete in England, which is why he is not interested in leaving.

"Hopefully, something will happen but if not, he has a contract with City until 2010, so he will stay where he is."

Samaras is among a number of players deemed surplus to requirements by Eriksson following his spending spree since taking over last month. His fellow strikers Bernardo Corradi and Paul Dickov would be allowed to leave, while the former England international Darius Vassell has already turned down moves to Besiktas and Derby.