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Aitor Karanka admits Middlesbrough will weigh up any offers for Gaston Ramirez but insists the club haven’t received a bid for the Uruguayan.

The Boro boss was initially asked about the reported interest in Ramirez from Leicester after last weekend’s Watford game and insisted there was “no chance” of him leaving.

But, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s West Ham fixture, he said: “If the offer arrives and he wants to leave then we will consider it.”

Speculation linking 26-year-old Ramirez with Leicester first emerged last week, with a suggestion that the champions were ready to bid £15m for the attacking midfielder and that he had a clause in his contract allowing him to leave if the valuation was matched.

A well-placed source from Boro told the Gazette on Saturday that the club hadn’t received a bid from Leicester and he didn’t have a clause in his contract. There was also speculation suggesting Ramirez was “unsettled” and keen to leave.

Karanka was asked directly at his Rockliffe Park press conference if the player was unhappy.

He said: “He is with the medical staff so I have not spoken to him. I think he was more unhappy at Southampton when he was not playing.”

He then added: “There is no chance of him leaving at the moment because we have not received one offer for him.

“Again, if the offer arrives and he wants to leave then we will consider it. Today I don’t think it should happen.”

Boro signed Ramirez from Southampton a year ago on a contract that ran until the end of the season.

Prior to that he’d struggled to make an impact in England following his £12m move to Saints from Bologna in August 2012.

A season on loan at Hull City didn’t work out as planned and he only really restored his reputation as a dangerous attacking threat under Karanka’s guidance at Middlesbrough.

The Boro head coach was keen to sign Ramirez on a long-term contract at the end of last season but the deal took longer than expected to complete.

That was because the player had signed a pre-contract agreement with Montevideo club Penarol.

Ramirez eventually re-joined Boro during the club’s pre-season trip to Marbella in July.

“One year ago he wasn’t playing at Southampton, he was at Hull and he had a lot of injuries,” said Karanka.

“Now he is doing really well and is an important player for us.”

Ramirez has a knee injury and won’t be involved against West Ham but could return to training next week.