Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock wished to keep Egyptian international Sam Morsy at the Riverside Stadium this summer but understood why the board decided to cash in on the 29-year-old, according to Teesside Live.

The central midfielder played an important part for the Championship side last term in his first season at the club, making 31 second-tier appearances and remaining as a regular first-team player under Warnock this season until his departure to Ipswich Town.

Morsy sealed his transfer to Portman Road on deadline day last month to ply his trade in League One, a surprising move for the midfielder to make despite having a good relationship with current boss Paul Cook from their time together at Chesterfield and Wigan Athletic.

As per a Teesside Live report shortly before his departure, Morsy was happy to fight his hit spot in the first-team with a starting place no longer guaranteed and was enjoying life in the North East, something that was later confirmed by the player himself in an interview with the Hartlepool Mail.

But the second-tier side's board were keen on offloading the 29-year-old and right-back Djed Spence to balance the books at the Riverside after recruiting 12 players, with nine of them coming in on permanent deals and three for transfer fees.

In a latest update by Teesside Live on Neil Warnock's stance on the Egyptians departure, he reportedly understands Boro's decision to sell the central midfielder despite wishing to keep him, and was made fully aware of this sale before it took place.

The Verdict:

If it was down to Neil Warnock, he may have held back on signing Martin Payero in favour of keeping Morsy, mainly due to the latter's vast experience in England and the fact he was already settled in Middlesbrough.

This may be the only source of annoyance for the 72-year-old, who seemed to be detached from the prospect of bringing in players from South America. But the fact he was made fully aware of this sale has probably softened the blow for the manager who will always want transparency from those upstairs.

However, they have brought in 12 senior players and after only previously seeing six head out the other way permanently during the summer, you can understand why they felt they needed to sell Morsy.

Regardless of Covid-19's effect on finances and Steve Gibson's reluctance to lose too much money, there is a real need to abide by the EFL's profit and sustainability rules.

Boro have already seen what could potentially happen if they don't, with Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City being given points deductions in recent seasons and the likes of Derby County and Reading initially struggling to get any signings over the line this summer.