Yakubu deal shows Boro mean business

Boro confirmed for the first time yesterday that the signature of the Nigerian striker has been sealed at a cost of £7.5m - subject to a work permit being granted - a figure that highlights the club's spending power.

But, despite having to pay Portsmouth that fee, Lamb insists there will be more new faces arriving at the Riverside Stadium before pre-season training starts on July 4.

Juventus' Ghanaian midfielder Stephan Appiah remains Boro's top target this summer but the newly-crowned Serie A champions will not make a decision on the player's future until after the Italian campaign is over.

But, according to Lamb, Appiah is just the next in a list of names that the club are working on trying to bring to Teesside.

And there is every chance that, just as Boro proved last summer when they attracted five big name players to the club, more stars could be on their way.

"Yakubu is a £7.5m transfer and that's a signal of our intent," said Lamb, who helped negotiate the deals of Bolo Zenden, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Ray Parlour, Mark Viduka and Michael Reiziger during this period last year.

"Middlesbrough can now attract players and he is going to be just one of many we would hope. We have targets to strengthen areas where we are particularly weak. We will be pursuing those targets and we are.

"Hopefully we will have them in before pre-season starts. We want a settled squad by then. Hopefully the targets that the club have - those which Steve McClaren has identified - we can bring in."

As well as working hard on trying to bring in new faces, Lamb has also put the wheels in motion to retain a number of players who are out of contract.

Colin Cooper, 39 in February, has signed a one-year extension while both Bolo Zenden and Doriva are mulling over new deals.

And Lamb admits that they are waiting to hear whether Brazilian Doriva has accepted. "Doriva is out of contract on June 30. We have told him we want him to extend that by another 12 months. Hopefully it will be an offer that is acceptable."

The future of Massimo Maccarone is also shrouded in doubt after Italian strugglers Siena took another step towards relegation at the weekend.

Maccarone, a club record £8.15m signing two years ago, has been on loan at Siena for the past few months and has enjoyed his time there.

But the twice-capped Italian international is unlikely to be handed a permanent move if they drop into Serie B this weekend.

Lamb said: "Massimo's loan deal expires after one more game. He has two years left on his contract with us and we will sit down with him and his advisors in the not too distant future.

"We will see what happens. We have monitored his performances and progress this season and nothing has been ruled in or out with him."

Meanwhile, Lamb has defended Boro's decision to raise season ticket prices across the board ahead of the new campaign.

The club insist they still boast one of the most affordable season tickets in the Premiership and that the rises are intended to make sure they can attract top names to Teesside.

"We have tried to strike a balance by which we inevitably had to increase prices. The more money we can get the more money we can spend on the players," said Lamb.

"We want money to spend on the team and by doing that we can then try to push the club towards getting the best results for the whole town.

"We think the increase is reasonable with regard to other teams in the Premier and hopefully the fans will see that point of view and we will get full houses every week."

* Portsmouth are ready to test the strength of relegated Southampton's resolve to keep striker Peter Crouch.

Peter Storrie, Pompey's chief executive, says that 6ft 7in Crouch is one of the names on the Fratton Park club's list of targets for the new season. Harry Redknapp has made it a condition of staying on as Saints boss in the wake of relegation that Crouch must stay as well but the manager has also said: ''If somebody offers silly money - then that's football.''

Read more about Middlesbrough here.