Michael Carrick says selling players is part of the natural cycle in football and has no problem with star men leaving Middlesbrough - amid Emmanuel Latte Lath's impending departure.

As a player, Carrick made only two moves throughout his career, but on both occasions was seen to be making a step forward in his career as he moved from West Ham to Tottenham, and then Tottenham to Manchester United. In that sense, he understands what he calls the cycle of football, albeit admitting that it's become even more extreme in recent years.

If Latte Lath does leave for Atlanta United after a fee was agreed with Boro this week, it will be the second January transfer window in a row that Boro have sold an important player mid-season. Carrick insists he has no problem with that, however, with everyone at Boro on the same page as far as how the club are able to move forward.

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While losing key players is never ideal, it's now a big part of how any Championship club not in receipt of parachute payments can ultimately afford to assemble a competitive squad while staying withing PSR limits. In that sense, when selling a key player like Latte Lath, the vital next step becomes trusting the recrtuitment team and process to adequately replace him.

Carrick said: "We have good players in the group. There are teams looking at our players, good players. There has been for some time since I've been here, we've managed it well and will continue to do that. Our challenge is always to do that, to move forward.

"Sometimes it's players moving on to other things, whether it's on loan for a certain time in their development, or whether it's to move on for different reasons. But as a club we always have to feel that we're moving forward, whether that's on the pitch performances or off the pitch building a squad. That's up to us to find a way of doing that.

"There's a cycle in football. That cycle is getting more extreme and faster and faster as we go. Probably at every club. I get that. It goes back to what I said, though, our responsibility is to keep moving in the forward direction. You might lose certain players at certain times, but that can't affect the cruise ship. You need to keep moving forward and keep moving in the path we want to move.

"You have to take a hit every now and again, that's part of it and we've had to do that since I've been here. We've had some really good players and they've had to move on. We have to keep moving in the right direction."

On understanding a situation like the Latte Lath one from the club's point of view, he continued: "It's vital that we are and understand the situation, what can be done and what's the limits. Every football club has limits and boundaries. We're realistic and acknowledge that between us, certainly at my level and above, which is what we do. It works really well."

Interest in Boro's key players of late is certainly not new. In every window since Carrick arrived, Boro have had strong interest in certain players. Chuba Akpom left in the summer of 2023, Morgan Rogers 12 months ago, while there were enquiries and bids for Latte Lath, Hayden Hackney and Rav van den Berg that were all rejected in the summer. This month, as well as the Latte Lath bid, Boro are also understood to have turned down an offer from Porto for Hackney.

"If other clubs and people are talking about our players in a positive light then for us it's bittersweet, but we'll continue to do what we're doing," Carrick said. "I'll continue to work with the players that are here, try to improve them individually and try to have a team that is improving all the time and playing good football.

"We want to play winning football, that's always the aim and won't change. I'm excited by the group we've got, we have some good talent in the group and a good balance. I'm really excited about what we can do between now and the end of the season."