Middlesbrough goal scorer Jeremie Aliadiere is convinced the capture of Afonso Alves is proof of the club's ambition.

"I went to see Alves and his signing has given the whole team a boost," said Aliadiere. "Knowing a great player's arrived at the club has an impact on us all and it helps convince you that we can do better.

"I'm not worried about my own position, all I'm concentrating on is doing my best and scoring goals. If I do that and we win, I'll be doing my job.

"We haven't really spoken amongst ourselves about the fee for Alves, we just think about how good a player he is. It doesn't matter how much the club's spent on him.

"It just highlights that the manager and chairman will go out and spend big money on big players. That shows good ambition."

Rather than viewing Alves as a threat to his own position, he sees him as someone who can help bring the best out of him.

"I can play with anyone and he's more of a forward than me, more of a goalscorer," said Aliadiere. "I tend to play more out wide and come and get the ball so we complement each other."