The four departures brought in a fee of around �30m to the club

Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb has confirmed that the sales of four top players has secured the immediate security of the club.

Stewart Downing, Tuncay, Robert Huth and Afonso Alves left the club during the summer and Lamb revealed the proceeds brought financial stability.

"The income, the thick end of £30m we received for those four sales, has funded this season," he told BBC Tees.

"We had a wage bill of £33m and we had to reduce that, we've made inroads."

"The club is strong and sound, I know there have been whispers about us being in financial difficulties but that's not true," he added.

Lamb had been speaking to BBC Tees Sport as part of their phone-in hosted by Alastair Brownlee, answering questions on a variety of subjects from supporters across the world via text, email, social networking sites and the telephone.

Another big talking point for supporters was the future of winger Adam Johnson, a young footballer who has impressed with England's under-21s and also in the Middlesbrough first-team.

We certainly don't want him or any of our other young players to leave Keith Lamb

Johnson, 22, is in the final year of his contract at the Riverside Stadium and with supporters fearing his departure, Lamb admits the club will do all in their power to retain his signature.

"I can't guarantee that Adam is going to stay, but I can guarantee that we'll do our very best to persuade him to stay, and give him a contract that recognises the contribution he can make to the club," he said.

"We certainly don't want him or any of our other young players to leave, and we didn't want Ross Turnbull to leave either.

"Ross chose to leave and he was another example of where we negotiated and made a number of good contract offers to Ross, but he exercised his right of freedom of contract and signed for Chelsea.

"At the time I found it strange because one of the things he and his agent put forward that one of the reasons he was unsatisfied at Chelsea was first-team football.

"Presumably they did promise him first-team football, but that hasn't materialised yet."

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