Middlesbrough's Emmanuel Ledesma has urged the club to do all that they can to secure the services of Danny Graham.
The 28-year-old spent the second part of the campaign with Boro on a loan basis from North East rivals Sunderland.
He has now returned to his Premier League employers, but Ledesma believes that if there is any chance to take the striker back to the Riverside, Boro should act on it.
"We would love for Danny to stay. It is very difficult because he is a Premier League player and I am sure, deep down, he would love to be playing in the Premier League," he told the Northern Echo.
"We have needed a striker who plays like he does, and he has been really important for us. He always works very hard, he links really well with the other attackers and midfielders, and he knows how to score.
"Hopefully, he stays, and if he does that, it will make a big difference to us. I think him staying would give us a much better chance of winning promotion next season."
Graham scored six goals during his time with Boro.
