It will come as a surprise to perhaps no one of a football-watching persuasion that Michael Carrick is not worried about the potential mayhem of the final week of the transfer window.

One of the calmest men in football is exuding just that – calmness – as he surveys the landscape.

“I’m not going into next week thinking it’s a busier week than usual because we’ve got so much to cram in before the deadline,” he said. “Some things might get thrown at us between now and then, you never know. We’ve got good players, so you can never really know on that side.

“But we’re in a good place as a squad and certainly not going into next week anxious, chasing anything, or looking at that deadline as a warning or a beacon or anything like that.

Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick (Picture: Tony Johnson)

“I’m really pleased with the way that’s gone this summer. Certainly, over time you build relationships. We learn what each other likes - what we like in players as coaches, what the team looks like and what it needs. I think we’ve got a really good chain of understanding. We’re always looking to improve. But at this stage, I’m really happy.

"For me, we’ve got three games in the next week, my eyes are pretty much 85-90 per cent on that. If there is anything along the way we have to deal with, we’ll deal with it."

Those three games begin with Portsmouth at home today, continue with another Riverside date against Stoke in the second round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday and the conclude with a trip to South Wales for a lunchtime kick-off at Cardiff next Saturday.

Middlesbrough v Portsmouth: Michael Carrick relaxed over transfer window interest