A regional daily has welcomed a football club’s pledge to be “transparent” after the newspaper was accused of spreading “misinformation” over its reporting of two transfers.

Middlesbrough FC published an official statement on its website correcting figures used by the Teesside Gazette, after the club signed Britt Assombalonga from Nottingham Forest.

Middlesbrough said Assombalonga, pictured left, had been signed for £15m, not the £14m reported by the Gazette, and also corrected figures used in the same story about the signing of Marten de Roon last summer.

In response, the Gazette says it will now “look forward to similar transparency” from the club on future transfers.

The football club’s statement reads: “MFC would like to clarify that contrary to reports in Tuesday’s Teesside Gazette, the club’s new record signing Britt Assombalonga was a £15m transfer and not £14m as reported.

“We can also further state that the wage figures suggested in reports by the Gazette are wide of the mark. We can confirm that the club works within the strict parameters of our wage structure and all our playing staff are inside a bracket that falls way below the figures reported.

“Furthermore, the same report states the club paid Atalanta £10.8m for the services of Marten de Roon last summer when, in reality, the club paid a transfer fee of £8.8m with a further £900,000 on the player making 30 appearances.

“As a club, we are keen to ensure our fans receive the correct information and facts rather than read misinformation from outside sources.”

A response on the Gazette’s website states the paper “welcomes” the club’s statement on the clarification of transfer facts.

It continues: “We are encouraged by the club’s position that it is keen to ensure fans receive the correct information on these matters.

“As the chief local news organisation and the paper of record on Teesside for 150 years we value truth, objectivity and putting the fullest possible picture to the public. Accordingly, we have amended the figures relating to Britt Assombalonga and Marten de Roon in our records.

“In this opaque age of complex deals and ‘undisclosed fees’, we look forward to similar transparency on future transfers. And we appreciate the club ’s commitment to putting the correct information and facts into the public domain on other matters too.”