WIGAN ATHLETIC have earmarked Middlesbrough striker Szilard Nemeth as the man to spearhead their Premiership survival bid.

The Latics are on the look out for fresh faces and manager Paul Jewell is armed with a £20m transfer fund having gained promotion from the Championship last season.

Boro are hoping to offload at least two of their eight forwards following the arrival of Aiyegbeni Yakubu from Portsmouth this summer.

Nemeth has been linked with CSKA Moscow and West Brom, but he has denied any knowledge of either club tracking him.

However, Wigan are leading the chase for his signature and a deal will be brokered before the end of next month.

Nemeth has struggled to become a permanent fixture in McClaren's first team squad since moving in 2001 from Inter Bratislava.

He has become an important member of the squad but was always going to be behind Mark Viduka and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in the pecking order following the pair's arrival a year ago.

Now the Slovakian international looks set to be on his way out of Teesside after spending the last four years largely being introduced as a substitute.

Wigan's interest comes as Aussie striker Viduka has claimed he is ready to put his Boro career on the line in a bid to make sure his country qualify for the World Cup.

The 29-year-old, speaking while on international duty in the Confederations Cup, will put his club place on the line by demanding to play for Australia in qualifiers for Germany 2006.

Boro face the threat of losing Viduka just two weeks into the new season, as the Socceroos face a double-header with football minnows the Solomon Islands in September.

Australia need to, and should, win both Oceania qualifying matches to head into a play-off with the fifth-placed team in the South American group for the right to go to the World Cup.

And Viduka, aiming to help his country achieve that for the first time since 1974, said: "There are a lot of us who have got to the point were we are realising this is our last shot at the World Cup finals.

"We are prepared to do anything to get there. Making the World Cup with Australia is my biggest goal at the moment and I will not let anything stand in my way."

Boro keeper Mark Schwarzer is also likely to be called up for the double-header.

l League One Bradford City will provide a pre-season test for Boro on July 23. The Teessiders travel to Valley Parade for a 3pm kick off, with another Boro XI facing Darlington at the same time.

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