JUNINHO is poised to end his third stint at Middlesbrough after undergoing a medical and holding talks at Celtic.

The Brazilian World Cup winner is still revered on Teesside and news of his pending departure will shock the club's fans.

But a conclusion to his career at Boro has always been on the cards following the summer signings of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Mark Viduka and Ray Parlour.

Juninho had initially insisted he was ready to fight for his place in Steve McClaren's squad.

But Saturday's exclusion from the bench against North-East rivals Newcastle has led to the little South American having a U-turn and he could complete a switch to Celtic today after 'positive' discussions.

A Celtic spokesman said: "He is still in talks with the club but nothing has been signed yet. He also had a medical."

Prior to the weekend Boro's attacking midfielder was unconvinced by the prospect of playing in the Scottish Premier League.

However, having resigned himself to a season of reserve-team football if he stays at the Riverside, Juninho has now warmed to the idea of playing in the Champions League with the No 1 team north of the border.

There had been talk that Manchester City had been preparing a late bid for the player but, having spent £55m in just over two years, manager Kevin Keegan is in no position to match Celtic's offer.

The only avenue City could explore was taking Juninho on loan, something Boro were not willing to accept. And now Celtic, who already have their allotted season-long loan capture in Wolves' Henri Camara, are well positioned to make their move for the former Atletico Madrid star.

The 31-year-old, subject to a medical, is now expected to complete the proposed move to Celtic, despite the Scottish giants announcing a £7.5m loss this week, and it could pocket Boro as much as £1m.

Juninho was left out of Boro reserves' squad that faced Liverpool at Billingham Synthonia last night as he headed into negotiations with the Glasgow giants.

If the experienced samba star does move to Celtic it is likely to bring to an end his love affair with the club once and for all.He first arrived in 1995 before being sold to Atletico in 1997after a relegation that left him in tears at Elland Road.

Juninho then had a loan spell a few years later before finally moving back to the North-East two years ago in a £3.8m deal. Now it seems the Boro fans that sang his name at the Riverside on Saturday, regardless of his omission, are about to say goodbye for good.

Meanwhile, Boro expect the country's top clubs to be casting an admiring eye towards McClaren but are not going to worry about the day he does leave.

February's Carling Cup success also took the Yorkshireman's profile on to the next level and, during Sven Goran Eriksson's much-publicised affair during the summer, the Boro manager was continually mentioned as the Swede's successor in the England hot-seat.

Chairman Steve Gibson knows the day will eventually come when McClaren - also linked with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United in the past - departs.

But he said: "Steve's always going to attract attention and a club like ours has to be a breeding ground for potential managers for Man United, Arsenal or Chelsea. "There was a lot of speculation surrounding Steve and the England job but that came from the periphery, not Middlesbrough Football Club."

* Boro stars Viduka and Mark Schwarzer are in Australia's squad to meet at a training camp in London between September 1-4.

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