Middlesbrough net spending over the 2008 summer transfer window was almost nil, as money spent bringing in new faces was matched by money brought in through player sales, though it had only been half a year since Afonso Alves' club-record signing during the previous season.
The club's first signings of the summer were both announced on the same day in early July, with Dutch forward Marvin Emnes arriving in a deal worth €4 million (£3.2 million at the time)[REF] and French midfielder Didier Digard arriving from PSG for €5 million (£4 million) [REF].